CINCINNATI (AP) — Will Benson hit a home run in three runs and the Cincinnati Reds ended San Francisco’s seven-game winning streak Wednesday night with a 3-2 win over the Giants.
Graham Ashcraft threw a pitch in the seventh inning as Cincinnati stopped a six-game slide that dropped the surprising Reds to second place at the NL Central and trailed Milwaukee. For Cincinnati, it was the worst slip-up of the season.
The Reds (51-46) had four hits. When they finished with four or fewer hits, they were down 9-0 this year.
Blake Sabol hit a home run for San Francisco and Ross Stripling threw six innings with a three-run ball. The Giants (54-42) are chasing the Dodgers in the NL West.
Ashcraft (5-7) was eliminated after Sabol took the lead in the seventh round with an attack from the backfield that narrowly crossed the wall on the left. Sabol’s 11th home run cut Cincinnati’s lead to 3-2.
Ashcraft allowed five hits, hit out three and walked two, continuing his turnaround after a difficult stretch. The right-hander improved to 2-1 in his last four starts with a 1.82 ERA.
Ian Gibaut, Lucas Sims and Alexis Díaz each pitched an inning after Ashcraft left. Díaz struck twice while making a 1-2-3 ninth in his 27th save in 28 attempts.
San Francisco used two runners in the eighth, two of whom were out, but Sims escaped the traffic jam when Luis Matos flew to the left.
Stripling conceded four goals in his longest game of the season and didn’t score. It was his fifth appearance and fourth in the starting XI since missing 35 games with a cruciate ligament strain.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson opened the third set with singles before Benson fired a slider deep left for a 3-0 lead. It was Benson’s sixth home run of the season.
The Giants filled bases without missing anyone in the fifth as Ashcraft hit David Villar and defeated Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt. Joc Pederson then caught a run-scoring double play and Mike Yastrzemski showed up.
TRAINING ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford (left knee inflammation) was on 10-day injured list and INF Villar recalled by Triple-A Sacramento.
Reds: RHP Luke Weaver should be able to make his next scheduled start after suffering a line drive from the back of his left elbow in the third inning of game two on Tuesday. He left with a bruise, but the X-rays were negative.
NEXT
Giants RHP Alex Cobb (6-2) is scheduled to start Thursday’s series finals against LHP Andrew Abbott (4-2).
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