The Reds treated DeSclafani as if he put key scratches on all their cars on their way to a 10-3 victory.
The Reds erupted for seven runs in the third inning and all seven runs came with two outs as the Reds circled the bases in carousel fashion.
And not a home run was involved.
In addition, the offensive explosion was accomplished with regulars Jonathan India, Kyle Farmer and Mike Moustakas watching from the dugout, taking a day off.
—The big inning began when San Francisco third baseman Evan Longoria made a bad throw on Nick Senzel’s grounder. Senzel was generously granted a hit.
—Aramis Garcia bunted Senzel to second and Max Schrock struck out. . .two outs, runner on second.
—Brandon Drury then drove one to deep center on what looked to be the third-out fly ball. But a strong wind carried the ball over center fielder Austin Slater for a run-scoring triple. 1-0.
—Tommy Pham, 0-for-9 for the series, singled to left field, scoring Drury. 2-0.
—Joey Votto, hitting .189 over the last 11 games, doubled to the right field corner, scoring Pham.
—DeScafani, probably shell-shocked by now, walked Donovan Solano on four pitches.
—Matt Reynolds bounced a ground rule double over the wall in center field, scoring Votto and Solano. 6-0.
—Senzel singled, his second hit of the inning, putting runners on third and first. Garcia singled to left, scoring Solano. 7-0.
So, with two outs and one on, eight straight Reds reached base — four singles, two doubles, a triple and a walk.
DeSclafani’s line: 2 2/3 innings, seven runs, seven hits, one walk, one strikeout and an earned run average that expanded to 9.91.
San Francisco put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth, a leadoff opposite-field home run by Mike Yastrzemski off Reds starter Tyler Mahle.
Mahle, blessed with the avalanche of runs, cruised easily through the Giants order to pick up the victory as the Giant lost for the sixth time in eight games.
The Reds, though, made certain to remove any San Francisco aspirations of a comeback.
They scored three more in the fifth against Giants relief pitcher Yunior Garcia, once again with two outs.
—Solano singled with one out and Reynolds walked. Albert Almora Jr. grounded out for the second out. But two runs scored on another Senzel grounder and first baseman Brandon Belt’s throwing error. 9-1.
—Garcia singled to left, scoring Senzel. 10-1.
The Reds’ 15-hit offense was shared by all with everybody in the lineup contributing at least one hit. Senzel had three (two infield hits), Drury had two, Solano had two, Garcia had two and Votto had two.
In addition to his three hits, Senzel walked and owns eight hits in his last 13 at bats.
And the Reds were 7 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
After Yastrzemski’s home run, only the second San Francisco hit, Mahle retired 10 straight until Donovan Walton ended his personal 0 for 18 slide with a bloop single to left with one out in the seventh.
He also walked Evan Longoria and with two outs and two strikes, Darin Ruf, whom Mahle had struck out twice, pulled a run-scoring single to left.
That was Mahle’s 97th and final pitch and he was replaced by Luis Cessa. For his 6 2/3 inings, Mahle gave up three runs, four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. And it enabled him to lift his record to 3-and-6 with a 4.53 earned run average.
An infield hit by Thairo Estrada scored a run that was added to Mahle’s line, a hit given up by Cessa.
Amazingly, even with a seven-run lead, when Reynolds was called out on strikes to end the top of the ninth, Reds manager David Bell argued the call vehemently and was throw out of the game, his first ejection this season.
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