Giants Emphatic 4 Game Sweep Over Reds
San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford, left, celebrates Steven Duggar (6) scoring a run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Thursday, May 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
2021.05.20 – The San Francisco Giants finished off a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in emphatic fashion, with a 19-4 rout Thursday and extended the Giants’ winning streak to five.
The Giants 19-run outburst is their most convincing win of the 2021 season, outscoring Cincinnati 33-9 in the series. The NL West leaders improved to 28-16, lately getting solid outings from their starting pitchers and big hits.
The 19 runs were also the most by any major league team in a game this season and their second-most of the Gabe Kapler era, trailing only the 23 they scored at Coors Field against the Rockies on Sept. 1, 2020.
“I heard a couple of players talking about how much fun they’re having at the ballpark,” Gabe Kapler said. “You can only have fun when you have confidence as a group. I think this is a confident group, but I also think it’s a driven group and a process driven group at that.”
A Giants club that leads the majors in rotation ERA and home runs hit on the road has proved that an impressive start to the season is no fluke. But there’s one test Kapler’s team has yet to pass before they can be widely accepted as contenders in a rugged National League West.
The test begins tonight at Oracle Park, where the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers arrive to play the first of 19 games between the clubs this season.
“It’s another team,” Steven Duggar said. “They’re a good club, we’re a good club. It’ll be a fun series, for sure. We’ll definitely have to come out and have a high energy and throw together a solid nine innings.”
When the Giants departed San Francisco last week, they left with a 14-4 road record and questions about whether the winning formula they’d developed along the waterfront would extend to ballparks around the National League. After a disappointing series split against the Pirates, the Giants rebounded with their most dominant series of the season against the Reds.
“We’re staying humble and we’re staying hungry because we’ve got a long way to go,” Giants manager Kapler said. “You’re not ever going to be disappointed with a 6-2 road trip to the East Coast. It’s very encouraging, but we know we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
The Cincinnati team looked hopeless against the best rotation in baseball. Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, Kevin Gausman and Johnny Cueto combined to throw 24 innings and allow just two earned runs against a Reds lineup that began the series averaging nearly seven runs per game at Great American Ball Park.
2021.05.20 (SF Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds) See video
San Francisco Giants’ Mauricio Dubon, top, throws to first to complete a double play after forcing out Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Castellanos (2) at second base during the first inning of a baseball game in Cincinnati, Thursday, May 20, 2021. Cincinnati Reds’ Tyler Stephenson was out at first. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
2021.05.20 (SF Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds) See video
2021.05.20 (SF Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds) See video
Cueto wasn’t at his best in Thursday’s series finale, but the veteran right-hander didn’t have to be as he exited after five innings of one-run ball with the Giants ahead 14-1. The offense built up an insurmountable advantage with a nine-run third inning that knocked Reds right-hander Tyler Mahle, who entered with a 2.93 ERA, from the game.
Mahle gave up a run in the first inning before six consecutive Giants reached base to open the third inning. After Reds manager David Bell brought reliever Michael Feliz on in relief, Duggar greeted the right-hander with a 427-foot grand slam to dead center field that was easily the farthest home run of his career.
Feliz was unable to make it through the inning and Bell’s next reliever, Ryan Hendrix, also gave up a home run to the first batter he saw. Darin Ruf collected his third hit of a four-hit day with an opposite-field shot to give the Giants a 10-0 edge.
Brandon Crawford, who is enjoying the best power surge of his career, extended his team lead in home runs to 11 with a three run homer into the right-center field bleachers off Heath Hembree in the fifth inning. Crawford’s career high home run total in a season is 21, but he’s topped 11 in only four of his 11 major league seasons.
In a four-run seventh inning, Crawford added a two-run single to give him 29 RBIs on the year, surpassing his total of 28 from the 2020 season. Two batters later, Evan Longoria launched his sixth home run of the season.
With five consecutive victories to cap off a 6-2 trip, the Giants were able to maintain a one-game lead in the NL West over a Padres team that’s won six straight games. Despite all of the early success the Giants have enjoyed – much of which has been unexpected – the club could still find itself in third place in the division by the end of the weekend.
“It’s important to put yourself in a great position all throughout the season,” Ruf said. “You want to end in first. It doesn’t really matter where you’re at right now, and we have the Dodgers and the Padres, two amazing teams as well, so we just need to keep playing great baseball.” Through an impressive 44-game start, the Giants have given every indication they’ll be a tough matchup for a loaded Dodgers team. They’ll find out exactly how tough this weekend against a trio of heralded Los Angeles starters – Trevor Bauer, Walker Buehler and Julio Urías.
WHO’S ON FIRST?
The Reds have had five different starters at first base, and they’re still experimenting. Joey Votto went on the disabled list when he fractured his thumb May 5. Moustakas was moved from third to first, but now he’s out, too. Alex Blandino and Kyle Farmer also have played there. Backup catcher Tyler Stephenson got his first start at first base on Wednesday. Blandino was back there Thursday. Votto has started limited baseball activity, but there’s no word on when could return.
OUT OF POSITION
Blandino came on pitch the eighth inning after Bell had cycled through four other relievers. After Blandino put two runners on in the ninth, it was infielder Max Schrock’s turn. With his pitches topping out at about 65 mph, Schrock got the final two outs of the inning on fly balls. Both players had pitched before. According to Elias Sports, the last time two Reds position players were called on to pitch in a game was in an 11-2 loss to the Pirates in 1902.
TRAINERS ROOM
Giants: RHP Logan Webb was placed on the 10-day injured list after straining his right shoulder in Monday night’s game. Álvarez (ankle) was reinstated from the injured list.
Reds: INF Mike Moustakas, absent from the starting lineup for five games with a bruised heel, was put on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday. INF/OF Nick Senzel also was out again with a sore knee and other injuries, but manager David Bell said he could return to the lineup on Friday. The Reds recalled INF Max Schrock from Triple-A Louisville to replace Moustakas.
UP NEXT
Giants: Returned home for a three-game weekend set with the Los Angeles Dodgers. LHP Alex Wood (5-0) starts against RHP Trevor Bauer (4-2) on Friday.
Reds: RHP Jeff Hoffman (2-3) starts Friday against Milwaukee and RHP Adrian Houser (3-4).
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