San Francisco Giants ten-foured in desert by Reds

Ten-four: over and out. At Goodyear Park Monday afternoon, the San Francisco Giants got battered around for ten runs on fifteen hits, by the Cincinnati Reds, while scoring four themselves on four hits, the first one not coming until Joaquin Arias muscled one over the wall with two outs in the fifth inning.

Giants starter Chris Stratton (7.20 spring ERA) gave up seven hits in his two-plus innings, but did not surrender a run in either the first or second inning. After that, the Reds proceeded to score in every remaining inning against a total of all six Giants pitchers.

For the Reds  Brennan Boesch and Chris Dominguez hit solo home runs, while Skip Schumaker and Jay Bruce each hit two-run shots. Marlon Byrd, Eugenio Suarez and Kyle Waldrop added doubles, and Kristopher Negron tacked on three singles, as the Reds totaled thirty bases on the afternoon.

For the Giants, until Carlos Triunfel woke fans up in the ninth with a two-run bomb, it had been only the big fly by Arias and a double by Mac Williamson, although the only three regulars in the lineup Monday were leadoff man Nori Aoki, Joe Panik and Brandon Belt, all hitless on the afternoon.

Just as Sunday’s game featured five San Francisco pitchers completing seven-and-a-third innings of shutout ball, Monday’s game was the opposite, as no one got out unscathed, unless it was Brett Bochy, whose one run surrendered in the ninth was unearned by virtue of Christian Arroyo’s error.

Hector Sanchez is also in spring training camp for the San Francisco Giants. USA; San Francisco Giants catcher HecMandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Rogers deserves note for relieving Stratton with runners on first and second and no one out, and getting out of the jam with only one run scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jay Bruce. Hector Sanchez also provided some assistance by picking off Marlon Byrd from second base, his second stellar play in three innings after gunning down Negron trying to steal second base, after he had singled to lead off the game.

Sergio Romo, making his first appearance of the spring, gave up a home run to the first batter he faced (Boesch) and then retired the side in order, making his ERA a round 9.0. Kyle Crick got seriously hammered in his two innings, giving up two of the four home runs to help account for his five runs and five hits surrendered. He walked one and struck out one, as his spring ERA ballooned to 6.75.

Adalberto Mejia worked the seventh, giving up the home run to just-designated Giant, Chris Dominguez, while striking out one. Brett Bochy finished it out and would have had a 1-2-3 eighth had Arroyo not prolonged the inning with his error, allowing Kyle Waldrop to double home Josh Satin. 

Bright spots included Arias’ home run, Sanchez’ two nifty defensive plays to nail base runners and Triunfel’s thunder in the ninth, and little else. On the other hand, of the six pitchers who threw in the game, only Sergio Romo is likely to accompany the team to the Bay Area. With only three regulars in the game, the idea was not to eke out a win, so much as to test the waters with inexperienced personnel.

The waters did not test out well, Monday.