Giants 2 - 4 Reds
Final
  for this game

Reds rally again to beat Giants

Apr 26, 2012 - 5:52 AM

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Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Scott Rolen's homer leading off the seventh inning sparked a four-run rally that lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Rolen's first homer of the season knocked Giants starter Barry Zito out of the game and the Reds took the lead against Clay Hensley and Jeremy Affeldt.

"We had a good inning yesterday and a good inning today," said Rolen. "But we have to be more consistent over the full nine innings."

Wilson Valdez's sacrifice fly tied the game, and the go-ahead run scored on Affeldt's wild pitch. Joey Votto then delivered an RBI double for a 4-2 lead.

The Giants lost their seventh straight game in Cincinnati despite another good outing from Zito, who has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his four starts this season.

"You hate to see a great effort like that and not come away with the win," said San Fransisco manager Bruce Bochy about Zito. "He's doing his job and I'm proud of him. He's been pitching great for us."

Hensley (1-2) took the loss, while Jose Arredondo (2-0) got the victory with a perfect seventh.

The Reds bullpen was good behind starter Bronson Arroyo, who gave up two runs -- one earned -- on nine hits in five innings. Aroldis Chapman pitched the eighth and Sean Marshall threw a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval had a single in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to 18 games -- the longest to start a season in the majors since Alex Rodriguez's 18-gamer for the Yankees in 2007.

It's tied for the longest Giants hitting streak to start a season since 1900, matching Johnny Rucker in 1945.

The Reds came up with another big seventh inning after scoring six in the frame Tuesday to win the opener of this three-game series, 9-2.

Earlier, Angel Pagan deposited a 2-0 pitch from Arroyo over the center field wall with two outs in the third inning for his second homer of the season and a 1-0 Giants lead. Melky Cabrera and Sandoval followed with back-to-back base hits, but were stranded.

The Giants, who left nine men on base in the game, doubled their lead in the fourth with three more singles. Hector Sanchez led off with a base hit, went to second on Emmanuel Burriss' bunt single and scored on Brandon Crawford's hit to center.

Zito was good, but the bullpen couldn't back him up. He allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four in his six innings.

Game Notes

Prior to the game, the Giants put Aubrey Huff on the 15-day disabled list with anxiety disorder and called up infielder Joaquin Arias from Triple-A Fresno. Huff's DL move is retroactive to Sunday...The Giants have scored just six runs in their last 41 innings in Cincinnati...In 11 1/3 innings over eight games this season, Chapman has struck out 20 and allowed just two walks and four hits...Rolen hit his first homer since July 6 last year at St. Louis...The Giants are 3-3 in a seven-game road trip.






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