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Vogelsong goes for Giants against Reds

Jun 10, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - It continues to be a storybook season for Giants right- hander Ryan Vogelsong, but if he wants to write another positive chapter he'll have to shake off some career-long struggles against the Reds.

Vogelsong will try to even San Francisco's four-game series with Cincinnati tonight at AT&T Park.

The 33-year-old Vogelsong hadn't pitched in the majors since 2006 with the Pirates prior to this season, but was inserted into San Francisco's rotation due to an injury to Barry Zito. All he has done is go 4-1 with a 1.68 earned run average in 10 games (eight starts) and has pitched to a 0.69 ERA over his last six starts.

Vogelsong has yielded three earned runs over his past 39 1/3 innings and is coming off a win over the Rockies on Sunday. He hurled eight innings of one- run ball, scattering four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

"To be counted on to go out there and win games, it's a great feeling," said Vogelsong, who is 2-1 with a 0.57 ERA in five games at home this season.

The Kutztown product hopes to continue his success versus a Reds club that he has pitched to a 6.15 ERA against in 11 career meetings. Four of those have been starts, with Vogelsong going 1-3 with a 9.75 ERA in that span.

The Giants will look to get back in the win column after getting shut out in Thursday's opener, 3-0. They went hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position and were held to three runs or less for the sixth time in seven games.

"They're trying too hard," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We just have to get them to relax. They're pressing a little bit because of the tough times we're having right now, trying to get runs. Sometimes you want to be 'the guy' too much. That's what it looks like to me."

Madison Bumgarner was once again a hard-luck loser, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out seven over seven full frames. San Francisco had won six of eight coming in, but saw its lead over Arizona for first place in the National League West fall to just one game.

Johnny Cueto hurled seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball for the Reds, who won for the third time in four games to get to two games over .500 at 33-31 and five back of first place in the NL Central.

"He got out of trouble twice with a runner on third," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Cueto. "That's big when you can do that and get all the strikeouts. He's turning into that kind of pitcher."

Jonny Gomes went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Reds, who hope that Travis Wood can shake off one of his poorest outings of his career.

The 24-year-old gave up career highs of eight runs and five walks over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Sunday, losing for the first time in four decisions. Wood fell to 4-4 with a 5.72 ERA in 13 starts after suffering his first defeat since April 29.

The southpaw has faced the Giants just once before in his career, getting rocked for seven runs over four innings of a loss on Aug. 24.

The Giants won four of seven over the Reds a season ago, taking two of three at home.