Marlon Byrd's eighth home run of the season off Sergio Romo lifted the Reds' to a 4-3 win, its third straight.
Byrd drove in three of the Reds runs with a bloop and a blast.
“I was just praying he didn’t throw that sweeping slider which you just can’t touch," Byrd said. "He just left one out over the plate and I put a pretty good swing on it”.
After a horrible April, Byrd has hit .295 since April 23 and now has 14 RBI in the month of May.
“I have to prove to the people who believe in me," Byrd said.. "This organization, Walt, and Bryan Price for putting me out there after the April I had. It’s easy to try and go in another direction, which he could have done. But he kept faith in me.”
“I feel comfortable with my mechanics. Not sure what happened in April. Donnie Long has known my swing since 1999. That’s a big plus for me. We just kept working.”
It was the second night in a row the Giants were done in by an eighth inning. Jeremy Affeldt allowed a game-winning home run to George Springer of the Houston Astros before the Giants jetted to Cincinnati.
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The Giants took advantage of a slow start by Johnny Cueto.
“That wasn’t his typical game," Bryan Price said. "He had a lot of off-speed pitches, and he was erratic from side to side. That got his pitch count up. I was shocked that I was able to send him out there for the seventh after that early pitch count. We ask a lot of him. He’s starting to become that guy who, as the game goes on, he gets better. As the game goes on, he tastes the finish line. He never panics. He finds a way to get out of his messes.”
Gregor Blanco singled to open the game, an infield hit to substitute secondbaseman Skip Schumaker, who is replacing Brandon Phillips and his injured toe. Joe Panik followed with a walk. Angel Pagan's slow ground ball advanced the runners. Buster Posey's sharp single to center scored Blanco but Billy Hamilton got to the ball quickly to freeze Panik at third. Brandon Belt struck out and Panik was caught in a rundown on a steal of home to extricate Cueto from the inning.
Cueto's fourth balk of the season with runners on first and third scored Blanco, who doubled. On pitch later Posey grounded back to Cueto, who shook his head in disbelief.
I can't explain it. I was felling aggressive all game," Cueto said.. "Pena and I were talking before the game and we decided to use more fastballs. But I am throwing the same way I've always thrown."
And the balk?
"It was a balk. I got my hands caught in my shirt and couldn't get them out without committing a balk," Cueto said.
Meanwhile, Lincecum walked a tight rope of walks and line drives at various and sundry fielders. The Reds aided the extension of Lincecum's scoreless streak with risky base running of their own.
With two outs and bases empty, Lincecum walked Joey Votto. Votto stole second. Todd Frazier walked and stole second while Byrd walked. Struggling Jay Bruce sent Pagan against the centerfield fence to haul in Bruce's bid for a grand slam. Earlier Pagan had to flag down Zack Cozart's bid for an extra-base hit.
In the third Cozart walked and was thrown out stealing standing up as home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez made a tardy strike three call on Votto.
The Reds got their first hit in the fourth on Frazier's inning opening double. Byrd walked again. Bruce struck out. Pena, leading the team with a .347 average singled to score Frazier. Schumaker scorched one to Pagan, who caught it on the run and doubled up Pena at first.
The Reds chased Lincecum in the fifth. Cueto bunted for a hit. Cozart, returning to the lineup after missing two starts with a sore left wrist, singled. Votto struck out Frazier was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Byrd dumped a bloop single into rightfield to give the Reds a lead.
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Cueto left after seven innings with a one-run lead. He struck out seven batters in the fourth through sixth innings.
Tony Cingrani came on to protect the lead. He walked pinch hitter, Andrew Susac, but promptly picked him off, a call that stood up under the Giants' challenge. Panik sliced one down the leftfield line and Byrd couldn't come up with the sliding catch. Panik raced to third with a triple, then trotted home with the tying run when Pagan singled off Votto's glove at first.
Jumbo Diaz got two outs to preserve the tie and earn the win.
Aroldis Chapman earned his seventh save after pitching in tie games in his last three outings.
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