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Bailey dominates Giants for second career no-hitter

CINCINNATI -- Following the final out of his second-career no-hitter Tuesday night, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Homer Bailey raised both arms high in the air, just as he did last September when he threw his first career no-no in Pittsburgh.

This one was in Great American Ball Park, and it put him in some lofty company.

Bailey, who had a perfect game through six innings, finished with the 16th no-hitter in franchise history, striking out nine in a 3-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. He became the 31st pitcher to throw multiple complete-game no-hitters in regular-season play.

Bailey, Cincinnati's first-round draft choice in 2004 out of La Grange, Texas, owns the last two no-hitters in the major leagues, the first to do so since Hall of Famer and fellow Texan Nolan Ryan in 1974 and '75.

"Obviously, being from Texas and knowing what kind of legend he is, it's special," Bailey said. "To do it twice ... I don't have words right now."

With the crowd of 27,509 standing in the ninth inning, Bailey retired Brandon Crawford on a ground ball back to the mound, then struck out pinch hitter Tony Abreu swinging. He got Blanco to ground to third baseman Todd Frazier to end it.

"When that ball was hit to Frazier and he was making the play on it, you get a little nervous," Bailey said. "But once Joey (Votto) squeezed it, I was like, 'Yeah.'"

The Giants had only baserunner, when Gregor Blanco walked on a 3-2 pitch leading off the seventh inning.

Bailey also threw a no-hitter against the Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 28, 2012.

"It's funny," Bailey said. "I was talking to Joey Votto during spring training, and he said, 'Can you throw another hitter?' I said, 'Can you win another MVP?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'So can I.' But I was only joking."

In fact, Votto might have saved Bailey's no-hitter in the seventh. The first baseman fielded Buster Posey's slow roller, and when it appeared Bailey wasn't going to cover first in time, Votto instead threw to third to retire Blanco on a fielder's choice. Pablo Sandoval struck out to end the inning.

Bailey thought he would beat Posey to the bag, but Reds manager Dusty Baker wasn't so sure.

"The play that saved the no-hitter was the play Votto made," Baker said. "I don't think he would have beat Posey to first base. That would have been a sad way to lose a no-hitter."

Brandon Phillips gave Bailey some breathing room with a two-run home run in the sixth.

"It's always nice to get insurance," Phillips said. "It felt good off the bat. You know, everybody in the dugout was just acting normal. Homer was staying focused, just doing his thing."

Bailey threw 109 pitches, 74 of them strikes.

"Early in the game, he was throwing quality fastballs for strike one and then we were expanding the zone with the slider," Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan said. "As the game goes on, he tends to get stronger."

"He overpowered us," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It was impressive. It was a pretty easy no-hitter. We didn't hit too many balls hard. There weren't any tough plays. We thought we'd find a way to get a few hits. He showed no signs of fatigue tonight. In the ninth inning, he was still bringing it."

It was the first no-hitter pitched in Cincinnati since Tom Browning's perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 16, 1988.

Bailey (5-6) retired the first 18 batters he faced before Blanco walked to begin the seventh.

Bailey struck out three straight batters in the sixth. He went to 3-2 on Crawford in that inning, just his third full count to that point.

"At that point in the game, you have to have an 'I don't care' attitude and just fire it in there," Bailey said.

Giants starter Tim Lincecum kept it a one-run game until the sixth, when Votto singled and Phillips followed with a line drive home run to left, making the score 3-0.

Lincecum (4-9) allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings.

"Tip your cap to a performance like that. He did a great job out there," Lincecum said of Bailey. "I just struggled overall. I was getting behind batters. I need to attack the zone better."

In the first inning, Shin-Soo Choo doubled off Hunter Pence's glove in right and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Joey Votto, putting Cincinnati ahead 1-0.

Choo's hit initially was ruled a homer, but after a two-minute, 15-second review, the umpires concluded the ball caromed off Pence's glove and did not clear the fence.

The closest the Giants came to a hit through six innings was on Sandoval's fifth-inning grounder. Shortstop Zack Cozart ranged far to his left to field the ball behind second base, and he threw out Sandoval at first.

"We're in a tough stretch offensively," Bochy said. "Hopefully, this is rock bottom and this is as low as it will get. But I don't know what team would've hit (Bailey) tonight."

NOTES: It was the 16th time in franchise history the Giants had been no-hit, and the 11th time in the San Francisco era. The last time they were no-hit was by the Philadelphia Phillies' Kevin Millwood on April 27, 2003. .. In addition to the 31 pitchers with multiple regular-season no-hitters, Roy Halladay threw one in the regular season and one in the postseason. Four other pitchers threw one complete-game no-hitter and participated in a multi-pitcher no-hitter. ... Giants LHP Mike Kickham, who allowed seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings Monday night, was moved to the bullpen, where he'll assume a long-relief role. Kickham is 0-3 with a 13.94 ERA in three starts. .. Reds LF Ryan Ludwick, on the disabled list since suffering a shoulder injury on Opening Day, has resumed baseball activity, including hitting off a tee. .. Giants INF Joaquin Arias, who hadn't played since straining his left hamstring on June 24, was available to pinch-hit but didn't get in the game.