Evan Longoria crushed a three-run, go-ahead homer as part of a six-run eighth inning to rally the visiting San Francisco Giants past the Cincinnati Reds, 6-4, on Sunday afternoon.
Longoria also made a leaping defensive stab of a line drive to minimize a Reds threat and threw out a runner at the plate to help the Giants win for just the third time in 10 games and the first time on a 10-game road trip.
Trailing 2-1 with two outs in the eighth, Longoria drove a fastball from reliever Art Warren to the seats in right-center as the Giants salvaged the final game of the three-game series.
John Brebbia (3-0) allowed one hit in a scoreless seventh to earn the win.
Albert Almora Jr. homered and finished with three RBIs for the Reds, who had their season-high four-game win streak snapped.
The Cincinnati bullpen wasted a strong start from starter Tyler Mahle, who carried a no-hitter two outs into the seventh before Thairo Estrada doubled on a first-pitch slider. Mahle worked around three walks and a hit batter to strike out eight over his scoreless 6 2/3 innings.
Almora drove in the first run of the game in the second inning as his seeing-eye single found a gap in the hole between third and short, scoring Kyle Farmer for a 1-0 Cincinnati lead.
Giants starter Alex Cobb was pitch-for-pitch with Mahle after the second inning until Joey Votto doubled home Tyler Naquin with two outs in the sixth to put Cincinnati ahead, 2-0. Votto’s double came just after Longoria’s leaping grab of Tyler Stephenson’s line drive for the second out.
Farmer singled and advanced to third on a two-base error from Mike Yastrzemski to open the seventh. Longoria threw out Farmer at the plate on Almora’s grounder to third. Replays appeared to show Farmer beating the tag of catcher Joey Bart but replay upheld the call.
Reds reliever Jeff Hoffman allowed a one-out double to Tommy La Stella and issued a two-out walk to Wilmer Flores before Warren (2-2) was called on to get the final out of the eighth.
Joc Pederson hit a high chopper that Farmer could not handle, allowing La Stella to score. Longoria followed with his fourth homer to put the Giants ahead for good as all four batters Warren faced scored.
–Field Level Media