Giants return home, lose again
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - With the trade deadline less than a week away, Jay Bruce isn't sure how much longer he'll be in Cincinnati.
If he does wind up with another team — Bruce has been the topic of trade speculation — the veteran outfielder is ending his run with the Reds on a memorable note.
Bruce hit a pair of two-run homers to help Anthony DeSclafani remain unbeaten, and Cincinnati beat the San Francisco Giants 7-5 on Monday night.
Bruce homered for the third consecutive game as part of a four-run fourth inning. He added his second of the night in the sixth to put the Reds up 6-5 and chase Giants starter Jake Peavy (5-9).
It was the third multihomer game this season for the Cincinnati slugger and 20th of his career.
Afterward, Bruce acknowledged the trade talk has been tough to handle.
"I have a family that I have to focus on," Bruce said. "Logistically, it's much more intricate. I know the skit, I know how it goes. It'll be nice when it's passed."
Eugenio Suarez also homered and Joey Votto doubled and scored twice for the Reds, who began their road trip with a win following a 6-3 homestand.
DeSclafani (6-0) pitched in and out of trouble and gave up two home runs but continued his strong run since missing the first two months of the season with a strained left oblique. The right-hander allowed five runs over five innings, struck out six and walked two.
Brandon Belt and Angel Pagan homered for San Francisco. The Giants went into the All-Star break with the best record in baseball but lost for the eighth time in nine games.
"These ruts are tough things you get into," manager Bruce Bochy said. "The long ball is hurting us right now. There's no getting around that. They have a lot of power in that club."
It was a big night for Cincinnati all around.
Homer Bailey, who hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery last season, made his final minor league rehab start and is expected to rejoin the Reds on Tuesday.
While Bailey's arrival could provide a jolt for the pitching staff, Cincinnati's offense looked just fine against the Giants.
Bruce's first home run was reviewed when a fan in the right-field stands appeared to reach into the field of play to catch the ball, but no change was made. Three batters later, Suarez hit another two-run shot.
After Belt homered in the fourth and Pagan added a two-run shot in the fifth, Bruce put the Reds back in front for good with his 23rd home run of the season.
"He's done a wonderful job of compartmentalizing all the other stuff he's gone through mentally with the trade (talk)," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's just done a marvelous job of separating the emotional part to the physical part of going out and playing."
Suarez doubled and scored on a suicide squeeze by Billy Hamilton in the ninth.
Three Cincinnati relievers combined to retire the final 12 batters. Tony Cingrani pitched the ninth for his 11th save.
Peavy allowed six runs over five-plus innings.
STREAKING AT HOME
The Giants announced a crowd of 42,147, marking the 455th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park and tying the Cleveland Indians for the second-longest streak in major league history. The Boston Red Sox, with a sellout streak of 794, hold the longest run in the majors.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: Bailey threw 98 pitches over 4 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville. He last pitched in the majors on April 23, 2015. ... RHP Tim Adelman (strained left oblique) will make another rehab start with Louisville on Tuesday.
Giants: 2B Joe Panik (concussion) will resume his rehab stint with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. Bochy indicated that Panik could potentially rejoin the big league club during its current homestand. ... OF Hunter Pence (strained right hamstring) is also rehabbing with Sacramento.
UP NEXT
Reds: Cody Reed (0-4) faces the Giants for the first time in his career Tuesday.
Giants: RHP Matt Cain (1-6) tries to snap out of his biggest slump of the season. Cain hasn't made it past the fourth inning since he last won on May 21.