Reds' first-inning homer dooms Alex Wood in Giants' second straight loss

First-inning homer dooms Wood in Giants' second straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

• BOX SCORE

The Giants left the Bay Area for Cincinnati on Thursday riding high after winning two straight over the New York Mets, one of the best teams in baseball, while scoring a combined 22 runs in those two games. And they were carrying that momentum into a three-game series with the Reds, owners of the worst record in all of MLB.

But the Giants appear to have left their offense -- and subsequently, any momentum -- in San Francisco as they lost 3-2 to the Reds on Saturday at Great American Ball Park, dropping the first two games in Cincinnati while mustering a combined three runs so far.

The Giants had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but pinch-runner Joey Bart was thrown out at the plate by Aristides Aquino to end the game after Wilmer Flores singled to right field.

Overall, Giants left-hander Alex Wood pitched well in the loss, but he gave up a first-inning three run homer to Kyle Farmer and that's all the Reds needed. Cincinnati starter Vladimir Gutierrez and four Reds relievers made the three-run first inning hold up.

Wood allowed four hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six. His record fell to 3-4 and his ERA dropped slightly to 4.81.

Joc Pederson got the Giants on the board in the third inning with an RBI double to the right-center gap, but with only one out, the Giants weren't able to do any further damage.

Two innings later, Evan Longoria crushed a 403-foot solo homer to left to cut the Giants' deficit to one. The long ball was Longoria's third of the season.

The Giants managed to get two runners on base with one out in the ninth inning before Darin Ruf struck out and Bart was nailed at the plate. San Francisco finished the game 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.

Alex Cobb takes the mound Sunday morning as the Giants look to avoid the three-game sweep in Cincinnati. First pitch is scheduled for 8:35 a.m. PT on Peacock.

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