Giants fall to Reds as Bumgarner loses groove

CINCINNATI -- Madison Bumgarner was just as stunned as anybody by his vulnerability in the Giants' 7-1 loss to the Reds on Saturday at Great American Ball Park.
Bumgarner has spoiled the Giants for years by delivering masterly efforts nearly every time they need one from him. Striving to preserve their postseason hopes, the Giants needed one against the Reds, and he provided it for three innings, blanking Cincinnati on one hit.
However, Bumgarner proceeded to yield a season-high six runs (five earned) over the next three innings. Yet he couldn't determine the source of his trouble, because he said he felt like his usual self.
"Honestly, I wouldn't say it's the best, but it was up there with how I felt today," he said. "It's a funny game sometimes, how it works out that way. The results were definitely not the best."
Bumgarner surrendered a home run to José Peraza to lead off the fourth, then Dilson Herrera's homer in the sixth. In between, eighth-hole hitter Brandon Dixon blooped a two-run double in the fourth, though Bumgarner's pitch sawed off his bat near the knob.

Two more runs scored on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly as center fielder Steven Duggar's throw home missed the cutoff man and briefly eluded catcher Buster Posey, enabling Scooter Gennett to rush across the plate.
The Giants continued to struggle at the plate, but unlike Bumgarner's performance, this was no anomaly. Entering Saturday, the Giants owned the fifth-lowest OPS in the Majors (.697) and the sixth-fewest total of runs (493).
The Giants' latest loss dropped them to 0-2 to start a 10-game stretch against sub-.500 teams that currently rank no higher than fourth in their respective divisions. San Francisco responded unfavorably to manager Bruce Bochy's pleas for an offensive revival, being no-hit for 5 2/3 innings by Reds starter Matt Harvey, who entered the game with a 5.19 ERA on the season.
Joe Panik broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth, beating out a shallow grounder to Peraza at shortstop.

The Giants trail first-place Arizona by seven games in the divisional standings and now trail St. Louis for the second National League Wild Card spot by the same amount.
"There's no secret formula. We just have to go out there and play better," said first baseman Brandon Belt. "I don't know if we're putting pressure on ourselves. We're losing too many games now, that's for sure. We have to bounce back."
On Saturday, San Francisco created scoring chances but went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The third through sixth hitters went 2-for-14 overall, bringing their three-game total to 4-for-52. The Giants appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough in the top of the fourth inning, when Belt batted with runners on second and third with one out in a scoreless tie. But after launching a ball foul, he struck out, and Evan Longoria flew out to end the scoring threat.

"[You] do whatever you have to do to put the ball in play and score the run," Belt said. "I didn't do it."
"I don't know what to tell you, but we'll keep working at it and get this offense firing on all cylinders," Bochy said. "It's going to take somebody. Somebody's got to come through and get a hit with men on base and inject some energy and get things going. That's not happening."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Duggar meant well when he heaved a long throw home after fielding Phillip Ervin's sacrifice fly, but Duggar had no play at the plate. Posey couldn't handle his relay, resulting in a throwing error and an extra Reds run as Gennett charged home.

Bochy praised Duggar's effort but added that the rookie should have exercised better judgment.
"I know what Duggar's thinking," Bochy said. "We can't give up another run. We're down. We have to hit the cutoff man, but I want guys trying to make plays, too."
HE SAID IT
"I think we know what we need to do right now. We didn't do it today. We have to come out and do it tomorrow and for the rest of the year." -- Belt
UP NEXT
Left-hander Andrew Suárez will start in Sunday's series finale vs. the Reds, scheduled to begin at 10:10 a.m. PT at Great American Ball Park. He's coming off one of his most impressive outings of the season, against the Dodgers, whom he shut out over six innings of work, allowing two hits while walking three. He'll be opposed by Reds right-hander Luis Castillo, who's slated to make his first career appearance against the Giants.