CINCINNATI — The fifth major-league pitch thrown by rambunctious rookie Ramon Ramirez nearly performed brain surgery on a fan in the right-field moon deck — a Randy Winn home run.

Say hello to the big time, kid.

Instead of melting into a pool of perspiration, the 25-year-old Cincinnati Reds rookie hitched his pants and retired the next three San Francisco Giants on Saturday night, Aug. 30, in Great American Ball Park.

Ramirez pitched well enough to win and turned over a three-run lead in the eighth that the bullpen kicked away like a pooch punt.

Fortunately for the Reds, Corey Patterson tripled home Jay Bruce in the bottom of the eighth for a 7-6 victory.

Of his first batter hitting a home run, Ramirez said, "I was feeling nervous, and I was trying to calm down and make adjustments after that.

"I tried to relax and think about the way I was pitching in Louisville," he added. And of his first taste of the majors, he added, "It was the best thing ever."

The Reds performed mass mayhem on Giants pitcher Kevin Coreia in the bottom of the first, a five-run assault that did for Ramirez what an inhaler does for an asthmatic after he gave up Winn's homer.

Jeff Keppinger, Edwin Encarnacion and Patterson drove in a run each in the first, and catcher Ryan Hanigan punctuated the outburst with a two-run double to give Ramirez a 5-1 lead.

He gave two back in the second on a two-out, two-run home run by Eugenio Velez that cut it to 5-3 before Encarnacion made it 6-3 in the third with his 24th home run.

From there, throwing mostly fastballs at 90 and 91 miles an hour and changeups in the low 80s, the right-hander from Cagua, Aragua, Venezuela, chopped down the moribund Giants with regularity, giving up two hits in the third and a bunt single in the fourth, then nothing more.

"I threw mostly fastballs and changeups with two or three sliders," he said. "Both the fastball and changeup was working, so I mixed them both and had good location with both pitches."

Ramirez left after seven innings, giving up three runs and five hits while walking two and striking out six, taking a winning smile with him to the dugout.

The Giants wiped it away quickly.

Bill Bray replaced Ramirez and gave up Winn's second homer of the night, a walk and a single, leaving the tying runs on base with no outs in the eighth when manager Dusty Baker lifted him.

Mike Lincoln was next on the mound, and he coaxed a double-play grounder out of Bengie Molina as another run scored, cutting the Reds' lead to 6-5, then Aaron Rowand homered, tying the game and wiping out Ramirez's victory.

"The bullpen has been slipping a little bit after doing the job most of the year, and they don't call these the dog days for nothing," Baker said.

Baker said he was tempted to send Ramirez back out for the eighth, but said, "He had 98 pitches, and we wanted him to leave on a positive note.

"It was a very good seven innings, one of the better seven innings from somebody we called up, and it might be the best," Baker added. "He was calm and cool, and you could tell he is a good athlete. He gave us what we needed."

Said Ramirez, "I was still strong, still feeling good. I didn't get the victory, but the important thing was that the team won."

Regardless of the win, there were a couple more base-running gaffes. Jay Bruce got picked off second in the second inning when Ramirez missed a bunt attempt. And Patterson made what could have been a disastrous goof.

Hanigan walked after Patterson's triple made it 7-6, putting runners on first and third with one out. Pinch-hitter Javier Valentin grounded hard to first, and first baseman Pablo Sandoval stepped on first.

That removed the force at second base, and if Patterson had hustled home before Bruce was tagged out at second, the run would have counted to make it 8-6. Instead, Patterson trotted home and didn't reach the plate before Bruce was thrown out on a tag play at second.

Fortunately for Patterson and the Reds, closer Francisco Cordero pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, but the last out had center fielder Patterson against the wall to make the catch on a long drive by Fred Lewis.

"When that first baseman steps on the bag, that takes away that automatic double play," said Baker. "You have to be alert on the bases. That's the No. 1 thing that I preach and teach. He should know."