Three in a row

SF 5 CIN 3
The Giants pinch-hit for Ty Blach after only four innings and 62 pitches but it paid off as Pablo Sandoval drove in two to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 tie. Two batters later it was 4-3 San Francisco and the bullpen hung on for the win. An insurance run fueled by a nit-picky Joe West balk call (hey, we'll take it) in the 8th sealed the deal. Kelby Tomlinson's error with two outs in the 3rd was followed by a two-run homer to make it 2-0 Reds but he redeemed himself with the RBI hit to make it 5-3, driving in Brandon Crawford. BCraw was 4-for-4 and was balked to second base before Tomlinson's single. The relief corps did the heroic work with five shutout innings. Pierce Johnson held the line in the 5th and Will Smith (6th), Sam Dyson (7th), and Tony Watson (8th) each had two strikeouts in their frames. Hunter Strickland got two quick grounders in the 9th and struck out Joey Votto to end it. Zo pointed out earlier that the Giants have a plethora of closer-types even with Mark Melancon on the DL, that bodes well for the rest of the season.

Brandon Belt blasted a splash hit to start the scoring in the 4th, that's two homers in two games. Brandon Crawford is killing it, 9-for his last-12, and hitting .455 in May. You have to like that!

Andy Suarez at 12:45 tomorrow with a chance for a series sweep.

--M.C.