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Adam Duvall, Eugenio Suarez power Cincinnati Reds to another blowout of San Francisco Giants

By Jeff Wallner, The Sports Xchange
Cincinnati Reds' Adam Duvall swings and makes contact. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Cincinnati Reds' Adam Duvall swings and makes contact. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price tweaked his batting order at the end of April. Since then, the Reds have won six of seven and averaged more than seven runs per game.

"The great thing about baseball is it's filled with a lot of anomalies," Price said. "It's way more common to have periods of time when you're not scoring. I think you just enjoy it while it's happening."

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In the past two days, the Reds' fun has been at the San Francisco Giants' expense.

On Saturday night, Adam Duvall, Patrick Kivlehan and Eugenio Suarez homered as Cincinnati pounded the Giants for a second straight night in a 14-2 win at Great American Ball Park.

"I think we're collectively as a group putting up some good at-bats," Duvall said. "I think that makes it tough on a pitcher. We're hitting well with runners in scoring position. If we can continue to do that, we'll have some success."

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One catalyst for the Reds' offensive surge is leadoff batter Billy Hamilton, who in the two games is 6-for-10 with two triples, a double, six runs scored, four RBIs, three steals and two walks.

Hamilton fell a home run short of the cycle as Cincinnati (16-14) had nine extra-base hits among its 18 hits en route to its fourth straight win.

The Reds have won the first two games of the weekend series by a combined 27-5, producing a season high in both hits and runs both nights.

"Getting beat like this two games in a row shouldn't happen," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It was pretty much the same story as last night. Balls that weren't hit hard were going through. That team we're playing is doing good things."

The 27 runs are the most the Reds have scored in two games since 2010.

The Giants (11-20) managed only five hits, two by shortstop Eduardo Nunez. They're playing without injured shortstop Brandon Crawford, who's expected back Monday from a groin strain.

"(Us) scoring two or three runs is the thing," Bochy said. "We've got to be better."

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Reds rookie left-hander Amir Garrett (3-2) overcame a rough second inning to allow two earned runs and five hits through six. He walked four and fanned two.

"You have to learn how to pitch without your best stuff and command," Price said. "He had to pitch himself out of bad counts. The big cushion doesn't guarantee you anything. He had to continue to pitch, and he did."

Robert Stephenson picked up his first career save after tossing three scoreless innings.

Ty Blach, making his third start of the season in place of injured Madison Bumgarner, was charged with eight earned runs in three innings. Blach (0-2) served up two homers among his 11 hits allowed.

Hamilton, who had a big night in the Reds' 13-3 win on Friday night, led off with a triple and scored on Zack Cozart's sacrifice fly in the first inning.

"When you get that kind of speed on the bases, it's tough to concentrate," Blach said. "He's swinging the bat well. It was just one of those days. When I made quality pitches, they found holes. That's the way it goes sometimes."

Duvall's mammoth home run to left field on a 3-1 pitch made the score 2-0. It was his ninth homer this season.

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A dropped routine fly ball by Kivlehan in right field led to two runs by the Giants in the second to briefly tie the score.

But Hamilton's two-run double in the bottom half put the Reds back in front 4-2.

Cincinnati poured it on Blach and the Giants in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate.

Suarez and Joey Votto each had RBI double. Kivlehan atoned for his error with a solo homer, his first of the season and second of his career. Kivlehan had four hits on the night.

When the dust settled on a disastrous inning for the Giants, the Reds led 10-2. Cincinnati has scored 10 runs or more in consecutive games for the first time since 2013.

And the Reds weren't finished. Suarez's seventh home run of the season came off George Kontos in the fourth to make the score 11-2.

"I'm not going to go into what I'm going to do," Bochy said. "They're men out there. They know what they have to do."

NOTES: Cincinnati hasn't scored 10 or more runs in three straight games since 1998. ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford hopes to return to the lineup Monday. He has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a right groin strain. ... Giants OF Drew Stubbs was designated for assignment and OF Justin Ruggiano's contract was purchased from Triple-A Sacramento. ... Cincinnati is 38-24 against the Giants since the 2008. The Reds' .613 winning percentage in that span is highest of any Giants opponent.

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