Reds Seven Run Third Helps Sweep Giants

The Reds didn't get a hit off San Francisco Giants starter Andrew Suarez in the first two innings.  The third inning was another matter.

The Reds collected seven hits in a seven-run third inning to dominate the Giants 11-4 final game in the three-game series.  The Reds have won each of the last six meetings at Great American Ball Park.  The Reds defeated the Giants 6-3 on May 16, the final game of a three-game series in San Francisco.  The Reds win the season series 4-2.

The Giants scored first of an effective Luis Castillo.  His defense let him down in the second inning.

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Evan Longoria led off with a single.  Nick Hundley hit the ball softly back to Castillo.   In his haste, Castillo bounced his throw to the shortstop side of second base.  Scooter Gennett fielded it with his foot on second base but the double play did not happen.  Steven Duggar hit a high line drive straight at Dilson Herrera, who was playing left field for just the second time in his professional life.  Herrera froze in place and when he reached for the ball it bounced off his glove for a double.  Gorkys Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly that scored Hundley, who shouldn't have been on base in the first place.

The Reds bounced back in a huge way.

Herrera singled off Andrew Suarez to lead off the third with the Reds' first hit.  Curt Casali doubled down the line into the left field corner.  Herrera scored to tie the game.  Castillo bunted and reached base when first baseman Brandon Belt couldn't pick up the ball.  Billy Hamilton his a sacrifice fly.  Then the tsunami started that Andrew Suarez couldn't survive.  Jose Peraza singled.  Gennett tripled. Eugenio Suarez hit his career-high 27th home run and took over the National League lead with 91 RBI.  Phil Ervin walked.  Tucker Barnhart singled.  Herrera struck out but Casali's second hit of the inning came in the form of an RBI single that ended the day for Andrew Suarez. Castillo bounced to the mound against Ty Bach to offer mercy to San Francisco.

"It was an awesome inning," Casali said.."I'm sure I've had two hits in an inning at some point in my career but not in the big leagues.  Any time you put up a crooked number against a club like that it's important. Luis did an awesome job.  When he puts the ball where I ask him to, it's easy for me and we give opposing hitters fits."

Hamilton tripled in the top of the seventh.  Jose Peraza hit his eighth home run of the year off Blach.  It was Peraza's second in as many days.

Castillo was cruising.  He retired 16 of 17 until Duggar hit a two-out double in the seventh inning.  It looked like would finish the seventh when Hernandez hit a routine ground ball to Peraza at short.  Barnhart in his second adventure at first base missed the throw because his glove broke.  The ball went right through the webbing.  Duggar scored.  Hernandez scored on a pinch hit double by Hunter Pence.  Amir Garrett relieved Castillo.

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"The weak pop up I caught in the same inning. It didn't break," Barnhart said  "Of all the times it had to break, it breaks then.  It was close to breaking.  I told Luis I felt bad.  He said forget it the glove broke.  I told him I know but every time a ball's in the dirt and I don't block it, I feel bad."

Castillo by rights could have been through the seventh inning with a shutout.

"The glove breaking on Barnhart, those things are part of the game," Castillo said. "Sometimes those things happen and you just have to focus on the next batter."

Castillo picked up his seventh win against 10 losses and dropped his ERA under 5.00 to 4.86 with 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits.  He had no walks. Castillo struck out nine for the second time in four starts.

"Everything was working for me today," Castillo said.  "I was commanding my change up. My slider was good and I was throwing strikes. I think like last year. I'm able to throw my pitches in any situation."

The Giants first signed Castillo in 2011.  He was a hot commodity, being traded to the Marlins, then to the Padres, back to the Marlins, then finally to the Reds for Dan Straily.

"That was the team that gave me the opportunity to be a professional baseball player," Castillo said.

Hamilton's two-run triple his second of the game drove in two runs.  Casali had his third hit.  Brandon Dixon doubled in front of Hamilton's hit into the right field corner.  Aristides Aquino struck out in his first Major League at bat.

The Giants scored a token run off Garrett in the eighth.  An infield hit and throwing error by Peraza put Joe Panik at second.  Panik moved up on a passed ball by Casali.  Pinch hitter Chase d'Arnaud hit an RBI double.  Garrett struck out the last two batters.

D'Arnaud, an infielder, was called on to mop up for the Giants.  The Reds have used position players to pitch four times this season. d'Arnaud allowed one hit in a scoreless inning.

Wandy Peralta chipped in with a scoreless ninth.

The Giants scored just four earned runs in the series. They are 47-15 when they score for or more runs in a game, including Sunday.  They have a 14-49 record when the score three or fewer.  San Francisco ranks 14th in the NL with a .229 batting average, a .286 on-base-percentage and a .306 slugging percentage for August.

"Sometimes it is when you play a club," Jim Riggleman said.  "We had a hot Cleveland team then we get a Giants team that's been struggling with the bats. We got them at the right time.  We had a lot of good at bats today.  We've done a lot better against left-handed pitchers the last couple weeks."

The Reds rallied to have a winning 5-4 homestand and as my colleague Jeff Wallner said, "San Francisco left its heart in Cincinnati."