Aug 29, 2008 - 11:41 PM
0 shoutsBy Douglas Tifft PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a grand slam and drove in five runs and rookie Chris Dickerson added three hits and four RBI to help the Cincinnati Reds top the San Francisco Giants, 11-7, on Friday.
The Reds' offense was aided by the struggles of Giants starter Barry Zito (8-16). The 2002 American League Cy Young Award-winner, who had won his previous two outings, allowed eight runs - seven earned - on eight hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.
"My changeup was flat tonight," Zito said. "(The changeup) didn't have the finish. Even though the location wasn't bad, it is more of a recognizable so the hitters are able to pick it up early. At that point hitters can make an adjustment in their swing.
"When the changeup is going right they are not picking it up until the last 15 feet or so, and at that point they may have committed to the fastball."
The game marked the second time in August the Cincinnati offense, which has suffered from the departures of sluggers Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, put up eight or more runs in a game. Starter Edinson Volquez was not as sharp as he has been throughout his All-Star campaign and benefited greatly from the support.
"There is no place like home," Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips said. "We just weren't hitting the ball (recently), but you can't do well all of the time. We were just finding the holes today."
Dickerson laced a two-run double in the fourth to give the Reds a 6-4 bulge. With the bases loaded later in the frame, Joey Votto was hit by a pitch and Encarnacion walked to cap the four-run outburst.
Volquez (16-5) surrendered six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings but received more of a cushion when Dickerson belted a two-run homer in the fifth.
"I was struggling with my control a little bit. I was trying to make good pitches and keep the ball down to get a ground ball," Volquez said.
Dickerson's shot left him a triple short of the cycle, something that he did not realize until after his last opportunity to complete the feat in the seventh.
"I had zero clue. I came back in and Ryan (Hannigan) says 'I was waiting for the triple.' I thought 'single, double, home run. Oh, yeah.' I was completely oblivious to it," Dickerson said.
Encarnacion sparked a third-inning rally against Zito (8-16) with a grand slam to open the scoring, but San Francisco evened the contest with a four-run uprising in the fourth.
Jeremy Affeldt allowed one of Volquez's runners to score on a two-run home run by Rich Aurilia in the sixth, before working a scoreless seventh. David Weathers worked a scoreless eighth and Francisco Cordero followed with a scoreless ninth.
From the Bleachers
-
SAN FRANCISCO: 7
CINCINNATI: 11
Final
Aug 29 10:33 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY OSIRIS MATOS ALLOWED JOLBERT CABRERA TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, P BAKO ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 7
CINCINNATI 11 BOTTOM, 7TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J AFFELDT (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Aug 29 9:52 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY RICH AURILIA (9) TO CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 6TH OFF JEREMY AFFELDT SCORED EUGENIO VELEZ.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 7, CINCINNATI 10
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: R WINN (.308, 1-FOR-3)
Aug 29 9:29 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY EUGENIO VELEZ SCORED EMMANUEL BURRISS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, E VELEZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 5
CINCINNATI 10 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: B SADLER (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Aug 29 9:23 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY CHRIS DICKERSON (4) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF BILLY SADLER SCORED JOLBERT CABRERA.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 4, CINCINNATI 10
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J KEPPINGER (.268, 1-FOR-3)
Aug 29 9:12 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO EDWIN ENCARNACION SCORED CHRIS
DICKERSON.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, E ENCARNACION ON FIRST, J VOTTO ON SECOND, B
PHILLIPS ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 4
CINCINNATI 8 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J BRUCE (.251
Aug 29 8:50 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
JOEY VOTTO HIT BY BARRY ZITO PITCH WITH BASES LOADED SCORED
EDINSON VOLQUEZ.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J VOTTO ON FIRST, B PHILLIPS ON SECOND, C
DICKERSON ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 4
CINCINNATI 7 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: E
Aug 29 8:46 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY CHRIS DICKERSON SCORED JOLBERT CABRERA AND PAUL
BAKO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C DICKERSON ON SECOND, E VOLQUEZ ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 4
CINCINNATI 6 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J KEPPINGER (.269, 1-FOR-2)
Aug 29 8:41 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY EUGENIO VELEZ SCORED TRAVIS ISHIKAWA AND EMMANUEL
BURRISS.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, E VELEZ ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 4
CINCINNATI 4 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: B ZITO (.132, 1-FOR-1)
Aug 29 8:25 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY EMMANUEL BURRISS SCORED AARON ROWAND.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, E BURRISS ON FIRST, T ISHIKAWA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 2
CINCINNATI 4 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: E VELEZ (.218, 0-FOR-1)
Aug 29 8:23 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TRAVIS ISHIKAWA SCORED PABLO SANDOVAL.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, T ISHIKAWA ON FIRST, A ROWAND ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 1
CINCINNATI 4 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR SAN FRANCISCO: E BURRISS (.268, 0-FOR-1)
Aug 29 8:22 PM -
NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
GRAND SLAM BY EDWIN ENCARNACION (23) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 3RD OFF BARRY ZITO SCORED CHRIS DICKERSON, JEFF KEPPINGER AND
JOEY VOTTO.
CURRENT SCORE: SAN FRANCISCO 0, CINCINNATI 4
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J BRUCE (.252, 0-FOR-1)
Aug 29 8:12 PM
