Tyler Mahle flirted with a no-hitter and pitched 6 /23 scoreless innings but Evan Longoria's eight innig home run, preventing the sweep as the San Francisco Giants pulled out a 6-4 win.
The Reds scored their first run in the second inning off Giants starter Alex Cobb.
Brandon Drury opened the inning with a single. Kyle Farmer forced him at second base. Mike Moustakas walked and Albert Almora Jr. delivered Farmer with a ground single to left field past a diving Brandon Crawford at shortstop.
Crawford was brilliant in the field for the Giants on Saturday, taking at least three hits away from Reds' hitters.
Mahle allowed three walks and hit a batter but no hits in the first six innings. He tetired 11 straight between a walk to Joc Pederson and hitting Thairo Estrada with a pitch in the fifth inning.
Estrada broke the spell with a double to right center with two outs in the seventh. David Bell brought Hunter Strickland into the game at that point. The former Giant reliever fanned Luis Gonzalez to end the seventh.
"Tyler had it all working," Bell said. "He threw his split for strikes. That makes it really tough because the hitter has to honor the fastball. The no-hitter was a long shot from a pitch count standpoint. When they got the hit, I had Strick ready. I had to keep in mind that Tyler gets stronger as the game goes on. It was a tough call. I felt great about Strick but I felt great about Tyler too."
Mahle threw 104 pitches.
"When I got to the fifth or sixth inning. I didn't think I would get it (No-hitter) because of the pitch count," Mahle said.
Mahle walked two batters with one out in the sixth. He got Wilmer Flores to pop up and struck out Pederson.
"It was big getting out of that inning; not only for the no hitter but for the game. It was 1-0 at the time," Mahle said.
The former Giant reliever fanned Luis Gonzalez to end the seventh.
Joey Votto hit a run scoring double to the left center field gap with two outs in the sixth. The hit scored Tyler Naquin from first base with the second run of the game. It was just the Reds' fourth hit.
Through six innings both teams struck out 15 times eight batters were caught looking.
The Reds wasted an opportunity to add a run to the lead in the seventh. Farmer got a hit to fall in front of Mike Yastrzemski leading off the inning. The ball got past him for a two-base error, putting Farmer at third withj one outl Farmer did not tag on Mike Moustakas' sinking liner to left field. Joc Pederson made a sliding catch but Farmer was too far down the line to come back and tag up. Almora hit a high chop to third with the infiield in. Evan Longoria leaped to field the ball and snapped off a quick throw to Joey Bart, the catcher. Farmer was called out. The Reds' requested a review but the call stood. Aramis Garcia grounded out to end the inning.
Jeff Hoffman started the eighth. He struck out Bart but Tommy La Stella doubled to the right field corner. Yastrzemski grounded out moving La Stella to third. Hoffman walked Flores. Bell brought Art Warren into the game. Joc Pdderson snuck a ground ball through the right side of the infield to score La Stella. Longoria hit a 3-2 pitch into the right field stands.
Warren could not retire a batter. He walked Crawford and gave up an infield hit to Estrada before Luis Gonzalez greeted the Reds' third pitcher of the inning, Joe Kuhnel, with a two-run double.
Nick Senzel walked and Naquin singled to open the eighth against Tyler Rogers but Tyler Stephenson hit into a double play and Votto flied to left.
Almora hit his first home run as a Red with Farmer on base against Camilo Duvall.
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