CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds haven’t enjoyed an outburst like this in seven years.
Adam Duvall, Patrick Kivlehan and Eugenio Suarez each hit a solo homer in the first three innings, and Cincinnati set a season high in runs for the second consecutive game with a 14-2 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Nine players had at least one RBI for the Reds, who got 18 hits and matched a season best with their fourth straight victory. They have scored 27 runs in a two-game span for the first time since May 2010 against Houston.
Nine of Cincinnati’s hits went for extra bases. Kivlehan led the way with his career-high four hits in his fourth start of the season. All of them came after he dropped a routine fly ball in right field before starting an inning-ending double play moments later.
“It was the worst way to start the game,” he said. “I got that first hit and it took the stress off. A mistake like that lingers with you a little bit. Anyone who says it doesn’t isn’t telling the truth. It’s tough to lock back in. I tried to relax as best I could.”
Reds manager Bryan Price was happy to see Kivlehan quickly regroup.
“Bench players live for an opportunity to start,” Price said. “When a guy like Kivlehan comes in and gets four hits, it is a big boost.”
Cincinnati sent 11 batters to the plate during a six-run third inning that made it 10-2. Seven had hits, including Suarez’s RBI double and Kivlehan’s first homer of the season.
“The great thing about baseball is all the anomalies,” Price said. “You enjoy it while it lasts, but it is more likely you’ll go through stretches where you don’t score a lot of runs.”
Billy Hamilton was a home run short of the cycle while scoring two runs and driving in two — in the first three innings.
“It was pretty much the same story as (Friday) night,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Balls that weren’t hit hard were going through. That team we’re playing is doing good things. Scoring two or three runs is the thing. We’ve got to be better. Getting beat like this two games in a row shouldn’t happen.”
Reds rookie left-hander Amir Garrett turned in his fifth start of six or more innings in six appearances. Garrett (3-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings with four walks and two strikeouts — called third strikes on the first two batters of the game.
Robert Stephenson pitched three hitless innings for his first major league save.
The Reds have won six of seven. They improved to 5-1 on their nine-game homestand after going 3-7 on their previous one.
Left-hander Ty Blach became the first Giants pitcher to allow 10 runs in one game since San Diego scored 10 in 5 1/3 innings against Jamey Wright during a 10-4 win at San Francisco on May 1, 2006. Eight of the runs given up by Blach (0-2) in his three innings were earned, and he was roughed up for 11 hits.
Blach threw 75 pitches, 49 for strikes. His ERA leaped from 2.55 to 5.66.
“I just left a lot of balls over the middle of the plate,” he said. “When I got behind, I wasn’t able to execute the pitches I needed to get out of it. It was just one of those days. When I made quality pitches, they found holes. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
WHY WAIT?
The Giants promoted outfielder Justin Ruggiano from Triple-A Sacramento before the game and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup in left field. The 35-year-old Ruggiano went 0 for 3 with a walk.
FIND HIM A SPOT
Reds utilityman Arismendy Alcantara’s seventh-inning RBI double gave him a hit in his last six plate appearances, seven of the past eight and eight of his last 11.
OH, THE IRONY
On a night when the Reds set a season high for hits, Jose Peraza went 0 for 5 to see his hitting streak snapped at a career-high nine games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford was “ramping up” his baseball activities as he worked to come back from his right groin strain, Bochy said, adding that Crawford could be ready to play a game somewhere by Monday. Crawford has been out since April 26.
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey increased his pitch count from 23 on Tuesday to 30 on Friday in his second bullpen session. He’s scheduled for a third session Monday while coming back from surgery in February to remove bone spurs from his elbow.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (4-1) starts the finale of the three-game series Sunday against his former team.
Reds: RHP Scott Feldman (1-3) makes his team-leading seventh start of the season. Feldman hasn’t won in four starts since April 9.
