Reds open division series with win over Giants
SAN FRANCISCO – An uncharacteristic start from ace Matt Cain left the San Francisco Giants in unfamiliar territory to start this postseason run.
Cain gave up home runs to Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce for the first earned runs he has allowed in the postseason, and the Giants find themselves trailing a playoff series for a change following a 5-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the N.L. division series on Saturday.
Cain was a reliable workhorse during the Giants’ run to the World Series title two years ago, allowing no earned runs in 21 1/3 innings.
That was a big reason why San Francisco never trailed in a series for the franchise’s first championship since moving West in 1958. But Cain was unable to outduel Cincinnati’s patchwork pitching staff after starter Johnny Cueto left with back spasms just eight pitches in. Sam LeCure pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win, scheduled Game 3 starter Mat Latos allowed only a solo homer by Buster Posey in four innings and the Reds stellar bullpen did the rest to take a 1-0 series lead.
Cain ran into trouble in the third when No. 8 hitter Drew Stubbs led off with a single and scored on Phillips’ one-out homer to left-center. It was the third homer Cain has allowed to Phillips.
Bruce, who has a .462 regular season average against Cain, added to the lead for the Reds with a leadoff homer in the fourth to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
| Cincinnati | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| B.Phillips 2b | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .600 |
| Cozart ss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 |
| Votto 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| Ludwick lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 |
| Bruce rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Rolen 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Hanigan c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .250 |
| Stubbs cf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| H.Bailey ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Latos p | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Cairo ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Paul ph | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Totals | 35 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| San Francisco | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| Pagan cf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Scutaro 2b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Sandoval 3b | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
| Posey c | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .400 |
| Pence rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Belt 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 |
| G.Blanco lf | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .667 |
| B.Crawford ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 |
| Arias ph | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| M.Cain p | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| A.Huff ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Theriot ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Nady ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | —- |
| Totals | 34 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Cincinnati | 002 | 100 | 002—5 | 9 | 1 |
| San Francisco | 000 | 001 | 001—2 | 7 | 0 |
E—Rolen (1). LOB—Cincinnati 6, San Francisco 11. 2B—Bruce (1), G.Blanco (1). HR—B.Phillips (1), Bruce (1), Posey (1). RBIs—B.Phillips 3 (3), Bruce (1), Posey (1). RLISP—Cincinnati 4, San Francisco 5. RMU—Votto, Rolen. GIDP—Ludwick. DP—Cincinnati 1, San Francisco 1.
| Cincinnati | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Cueto | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| LeCure W, 1-0 | 12/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Latos | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.25 |
| Marshall H, 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Broxton H, 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| A.Chapman | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9.00 |
| San Francisco | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| M.Cain L, 0-1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5.40 |
| Kontos | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Mota | 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Affeldt | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| S.Casilla | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9.00 |
T—3:27. A—43,492 (41,915).