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Champs try to avoid the brooms in Cincy

Jul 31, 2011 - 2:49 PM (Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants could have newly-acquired infielder Orlando Cabrera in their lineup this afternoon when they wrap up a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

With shortstop Miguel Tejada sidelined with an abdominal injury, the Giants went out and acquired Cabrera from Cleveland on Saturday. The 36-year-old two- time Gold Glove Award winner was hitting just .244 this season with four home runs and 38 RBI in 91 games.

Cincinnati has gotten the best of the defending world champions through the first two games of this set. On Saturday, Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey knocked in two runs apiece to back 6 1/3 strong innings from Mike Leake, as Cincinnati used a five-run first inning to beat the Giants, 7-2.

Brandon Phillips and Miguel Cairo each drove in a run for the Reds, who had dropped four in a row coming into this series.

Leake (9-6) allowed two runs -- one earned -- on eight hits to pick up his first win since July 3. The right-hander struck out seven and walked zero.

"The heat kind of got to them [San Francisco] a bit," Leake said.

Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-5 with a solo homer for the Giants, who had won each of their previous five series. Carlos Beltran was 0-for-5 and has just one hit in 14 at-bats with six strikeouts since being acquired from New York.

Madison Bumgarner (6-10) gave up seven runs -- five earned -- on seven hits over four innings to suffer his first loss since June 21. He struck out four and walked three.

Bumgarner, who turns 22 on Monday, came into Saturday's game with two walks or less in 19 straight starts.

"It was hard to grip the ball [because of the heat]," Bumgarner said. "I had to slow down and keep my heart rate down."

It won't get any easier for the Giants today as they go up against the Reds' best pitcher in righty Johnny Cueto, who is 6-4 with a 1.88 ERA. Cueto was charged with the loss on Tuesday against the Mets, as he allowed six runs - all unearned - in five innings.

Cueto tossed seven scoreless innings to beat the Giants back on June 9 and is 1-0 lifetime against them with a 2.77 ERA in two starts.

San Francisco, meanwhile, will try to get back on track behind lefty Barry Zito, who has lost his last two starts. Zito was roughed up by the Phillies on Tuesday for six runs and six hits in seven innings, dropping him to 3-3 on the year to go along with a 5.24 ERA.

Zito has faced the Reds nine times (eight starts) and is 3-3 with a 7.29 ERA against them.

These two clubs split a four-game set in San Francisco from June 9-12.