Reds 11, Giants 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Shin-Soo Choo doubled on Tim Lincecum's sixth pitch, and Todd Frazier smacked a three-run double later in the inning as the Cincinnati Reds teed off on the San Francisco Giants' no-hit pitcher in an 11-0 rout Monday night.
Bronson Arroyo (9-7) recorded career win No. 100 with a seven-hit shutout as the Reds began a 10-day, 11-game road trip by continuing a 2013 mastery of the Giants that's now reached four consecutive wins by a total score of 25-3.
The shutout was the first of the season and sixth of his career for Arroyo, who was part of two combined shutouts earlier this year. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter for the third time this season in his first complete game of the year.
Center fielder Derrick Robinson saved Arroyo's shutout by reaching over the fence, bobbling and then catching pinch hitter Jeff Francoeur's blast to end the game.
Devin Mesoraco, Choo and Jay Bruce added solo home runs off Lincecum (5-10), who no-hit the San Diego Padres in his previous start, July 13. Mesoraco, who had a single, double and homer, and Bruce finished with two RBIs apiece.
Eleven Reds contributed to the team's 17-hit assault on four Giants pitchers.
The win in the opener of a four-game series allowed the third-place Reds to gain a half-game on the National League Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. Cincinnati now trails by 4 1/2 games. The Giants fell six games back of the new leaders in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Reds ran their record to 9-0 in Arroyo starts following a loss. The right-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his past 10 starts against the Giants.
Cincinnati quickly preserved Johnny Vander Meer's place in history as the only major-leaguer to throw back-to-back no-hitters. Leadoff batter Choo's slicing liner to left, a ball misplayed and then nearly caught by a diving Gregor Blanco, fell in for a double to end any back-to-back thoughts before many in the sellout crowd had settled into their seats.
Interestingly, the game-opening hit did duplicate a piece of Giants history. The last time a Giant pitched a no-hitter -- Matt Cain's perfect game against the Houston Astros last June -- he gave up a hit to the first batter he faced in his next game. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels greeted Cain with that hit.
Five batters after Lincecum lost his no-hitter, the shutout was gone as well. Frazier's two-out, bases-loaded blast went over the head of Giants center fielder Andres Torres and scored Robinson, Brandon Phillips and Bruce.
Robinson, who bunted for a hit in the first, had three singles in the game and scored three runs.
Lincecum allowed eight runs on nine hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings. After striking out a season-high 13 in his no-hitter, he fanned just two Reds, a season low.
The Giants lost for a second consecutive time with manager Bruce Bochy seeking his 1,500th win. The Reds' Dusty Baker is one of just two active major league managers to have reached the milestone.
The home runs by Mesoraco, his fifth, and Choo, his 14th, came in the second inning and increased the Cincinnati lead to 5-0. Bruce's 20th homer of the season made it 6-0 in the third.
Lincecum allowed a total of just three home runs in his previous nine starts.
Phillips greeted reliever George Kontos with a run-scoring double with two outs in the fourth. A second run scored on the play, making it 8-0, when Giants first baseman Brandon Belt dropped Hunter Pence's relay throw for an error.
Both runs were charged to Lincecum.
Mesoraco made it 9-0 in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Frazier.
NOTES: Choo's game-opening double extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. ... Giants starting pitchers had allowed two or fewer runs in six of the team's previous seven games. ... The teams will play a doubleheader Tuesday starting at 4:05 p.m. PDT, with the nightcap serving as the makeup of a July 4 rainout in Cincinnati. The Reds will bat last in the second game, although it officially will be recorded as a Giants home game. ... Giants LHP Barry Zito will pitch the second game of the doubleheader, during which San Francisco will be wearing its road grays. Something will have to give, as the veteran left-hander has been great at home this season (4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 starts) but terrible in his road uniform (0-6 with a 9.89 ERA in eight starts). ... Neither pitcher scheduled for the Reds in the doubleheader was on the roster for Monday's game. The first-game starter, LHP Tony Cingrani, is expected to be added to the roster as a 26th man (permitted in doubleheaders only) before the game, and second-game starter RHP Greg Reynolds will have to replace one of the 26 before he's activated during the 30-minute break between contests. Both have been pitching at Triple-A Louisville ... The Giants also will dip into the minor leagues for a starter Tuesday, with LHP Eric Surkamp expected to be promoted from Triple-A Fresno for his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow last July.
