Three two-run singles help S.F. survive Cincinnati pinball machine; Posey draws first start at catcher
SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
Great American Ball Park is a pinball machine and no doubt one reason why the Reds statistically have the best offense in the National League. Any team that wanders in here not ready to swing the stick is in deep trouble, because Cincinnati will.
That is why the Giants' 6-5 victory Monday night so pleased manager Bruce Bochy. His team, which often struggles to get runners home, stood toe to toe with the heavyweights and won.
"We're probably going to give up more runs here," Bochy said. "No question, you've got to win some games 6-5, 8-7. You've got to slug it sometimes, especially in a hitters' park. That was gratifying. We had some great at-bats."
Every starter had at least one hit, including Barry Zito, whose two-run single in the second inning gave the Giants a 2-0 lead to launch the team's ninth win in its last 13 games and third in four games on this trip.
Juan Uribe drove in the other four runs with a pair of two-run singles that raised his team-leading RBI count to 37. His second hit, in the seventh, restored the Giants' lead at 6-5 after pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo's two-run single in the sixth off Zito put the Reds on top 5-4.
Buster Posey made his first start of the season behind the plate and raised his average to .455 with two singles, one of which preceded Zito's big hit. Last but not least, Freddy Sanchez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with two singles, each spearheading scoring rallies. He is batting .500 (20-for-40) during the streak.
In the end, though, the bullpen truly hoisted the Giants by stopping the Reds cold for the final 3 1/3 innings.
Sergio Romo struck out Orlando Cabrera to strand the last two of Zito's runners in the sixth. Santiago Casilla and Posey combined on a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play to end the seventh with Scott Rolen hitting. Guillermo Mota further consolidated his job as the eighth-inning man by striking out two in the eighth and Brian Wilson earned his 15th save a day after blowing one in Pittsburgh.
Andres Torres, who crushed an out to the warning track with the bases loaded in the sixth, saved the saver when he retreated with great haste and leaped to grab a ferocious liner by Ramon Hernandez to start the ninth.
"I can't explain enough how great an asset to this guy is anywhere in the outfield," Wilson said. "He has speed. He's athletic. That was a huge out."
And those were some huge hits by Uribe, who continues to be one of the Giants' best clutch hitters, impressing Bochy, who said, "I think he's a better hitter now than when he won a World Series with the White Sox. He has a good idea up there."
Posey earned high marks from Zito, who blamed himself for allowing five runs.
Posey became marginally involved in a little kerfuffle in the sixth inning. The Giants' bench though Hernandez, who was at second base, was relaying pitch location to Cabrera at the plate. Bochy told Posey to tell Romo.
When Romo struck out Cabrera to end the inning, Romo turned and seemed to point toward Hernandez, who told a Reds beat reporter he thought Romo was gesturing toward him. Romo said not so, that he was talking to Uribe as they ran into the dugout together.
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