CINCINNATI ( Associated Press) — Evan Longoria was unhappy when plate umpire Shane Livensparger dismissed him in the fifth inning on a full-count slider, which Longoria thought was low, missed the outside corner.
Then in the eighth, Longoria dropped his bat and began to lower his shin guard when Art Warren’s 3-1 slider was called a strike.
Longoria next pitched for three, keyed in a six-run knock for an opposite field homer, who thrashed the San Francisco Giants 6-4 over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday and avoided a three-game sweep.
“The first one I was a little nervous about, obviously, because I thought it was a ball,” Longoria said. “Obviously, it works the second time around. But then again, I think I’m watching the ball pretty well, and so it’s a little frustrating when it’s called the other side.
Longoria’s home run, a drive to right, was his fourth in four games.
Tyler Mahle made a no-hit bid in the seventh and Cincinnati took a 2–0 lead in the eighth when Tommy La Stella doubled with one out to Jeff Hoffman, Wilmer Flores walked with two outs and Jock Pedersen. Slapped a run-scoring single to the right.
Warren (2-2) was relieved, and Longoria Reached down for a full-count fastball,
Giants manager Gabe Kapler said, “I think the most impressive thing for me about Longoria’s day was how he was making up when there were so many calls on him.” “I personally find it admirable to have strong minds to get people through those situations, and not let those things get the best of them.”
Brandon Crawford walked in, Thyro Estrada sang, Joel Kuhnell was relieved and Luis Gonzalez doubled in two runs for a 6-2 lead.
Alex Cobb allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. John Brabia (3-0), the second of three relievers, took a hit to place seventh and helped drop NL-worst Cincinnati to 16-31.
Albert Almora Jr. hits a two-out, two-run homer off Camilio Doval’s ninth ball, Almora’s first major league home run since August 6, 2019, for the Chicago Cubs of Junior Guerra of Milwaukee.
Doval retired pinch-hitter Alejo López on a flyout at the end of the game.
Mahle played 6 2/3 innings, his longest since the previous 29 August, and was immediately replaced by Hunter Strickland after Estrada’s two-out double in the seventh.
“I was just waiting for a pitch that I could play on and I’m happy to get the first hit,” Estrada said. “We were looking forward to that first hit, and I think it woke us up.”
In the sixth, Mahle had bowled 104 pitches after two batsmen had run and pulled a jam.
“The no-hitter was a long shot from a pitch-count stand point,” said Reds manager David Bell. “It was to be noted that Tyler gets stronger as the game progresses. It was a tough call. After the hit, going with (Strickland), it was a tough call. ,
Almora had a run-scoring single past shortstop Brandon Crawford in second and Joy Votto in sixth had a two-out RBI double that went into Tyler Nequin, who was gone.
Couplers can suspend protest
Kapler left the door open on Monday to postpone protests for his national anthem in recognition of Memorial Day. The Giants captain is avoiding the field during the national anthem to protest the country’s political direction following the school shootings in Texas last week. When asked before Sunday’s game what specifically he would do on Memorial Day, when his Giants play in Philadelphia, Kapler wasn’t sure, saying he could take the field for the anthem.
“I’m very comfortable taking it day in and day out,” he said. “I guess I’ll just decide what makes the most sense at the moment.”
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Cincinnati traded the OF/INF jetty puzzle to the New York Mets for cash. The 30-year-old was 1 for 4 in two games for the Reds on April 19 and 24, and hit .208 with three homers and five RBIs in 27 games at the International League’s Triple-A Louisville.
instructor room
Reds: LHP Mike Minor (shoulder) has completed his rehab 6.11 ERA 1-3 with five minor league starts and is set to begin his season against Washington on Friday. … off Jake Fraley suffered a blow to his toe during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville, said Reds manager David Bell. Fraley has been on the injured list since May 1.
next
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (5-1, 3.54 ERA) Phillies against RHP Kyle Gibson (3-2, 3.94 ERA) in the first match of a three-match series in Philadelphia on Monday.
Reds: After day one on Monday, the Cincinnati heads to Boston for a set of two games against the Red Sox, the Reds’ first visit to Fenway since 2014. RHP Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.35) is about to start. The Boston starter has not been announced.
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