The Reds’ Will Benson celebrates with third base coach J.R. House after hitting a three-run home run Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati. (AP photo)
CINCINNATI — Will Benson hit a three-run homer, and the Cincinnati Reds snapped San Francisco’s seven-game win streak with a 3-2 victory over the Giants on Wednesday night.
Graham Ashcraft pitched into the seventh inning as Cincinnati stopped a six-game slide that dropped the surprising Reds into second in the NL Central, trailing Milwaukee. It was a season-worst skid for Cincinnati.
The Reds (51-46) had four hits. They had been 0-9 this year when they finished with four or fewer hits.
Blake Sabol homered for San Francisco, and Ross Stripling pitched six innings of three-run ball. The Giants (54-42) are chasing the Dodgers in the NL West.
Ashcraft (5-7) departed after Sabol led off the seventh with an opposite-field drive that just cleared the wall in left. Sabol’s 11th homer trimmed Cincinnati’s lead to 3-2.
Ashcraft allowed five hits, struck out three and walked two, continuing his turnaround after a rough stretch. The right-hander improved to 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in his last four starts.
Ian Gibaut, Lucas Sims and Alexis Díaz each pitched an inning after Ashcraft departed. Díaz struck out two while worked a 1-2-3 ninth in his 27th save in 28 tries.
San Francisco put two runners on with two out in the eighth, but Sims escaped the jam when Luis Matos flied out to left.
Stripling allowed four hits and walked none in his longest outing of the season. It was his fifth appearance and fourth start since missing 35 games with a low back strain.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson opened the third with singles before Benson drove a slider deep to left for a 3-0 lead. It was Benson’s sixth homer of the season.
The Giants loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth when Ashcraft hit David Villar and walked Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt. Joc Pederson then bounced into a run-scoring double play and Mike Yastrzemski popped up.
Trainer’s room
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford (left knee inflammation) went on the 10-day injured list, and INF Villar was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
Reds: RHP Luke Weaver should be able to make his next scheduled start after taking a line drive off the back of his left elbow in the third inning of Tuesday’s second game. He departed with a contusion, but X-rays were negative.
Up next
Giants RHP Alex Cobb (6-2) is scheduled to start Thursday’s series finale against LHP Andrew Abbott (4-2).
