Giants at Reds
The Cincinnati Reds aim for a fourth consecutive victory Saturday, when they host the San Francisco Giants for the second contest of their three-game series. Cincinnati posted a 13-3 victory in the opener on Friday and has scored 24 runs during the winning streak while allowing only seven.
The Reds improved to 4-1 on their nine-game homestand with an offensive onslaught that saw the team pound out 16 hits and score in all but one inning. Jose Peraza was one of four members of the club to record three hits and nearly matched his RBI total for the season, raising his total to nine by driving in four runs. San Francisco fell to 2-2 on its nine-game road trip as its top five hitters in the lineup produced a total of three hits - all by Buster Posey, who is 10-for-22 during his five-game hitting streak. The star player has not been producing many runs, however, as he enters Saturday with only five RBIs on the season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Ty Blach (0-1, 2.55 ERA) vs. Reds LH Amir Garrett (2-2, 4.50)
Blach remains in search of his first win of 2017 as he makes his third consecutive start after beginning the season with seven relief appearances. The 26-year-old native of Denver scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings against San Diego on Sunday but settled for a no-decision after taking the loss versus Los Angeles while giving up only two runs in five frames five days earlier. Opponents are batting just .167 this season against Blach, who will be facing Cincinnati for the first time in his brief career.
Garrett won his first two major-league starts but has gone 0-2 in three outings since, although he yielded only two runs over seven innings in two of them. Sandwiched between those two turns was an abysmal performance at Milwaukee on April 24 in which the 25-year-old Californian was tagged for 10 runs - nine earned - on eight hits and four walks over 3 1/3 frames. Garrett, who never has faced San Francisco, has allowed four runs and nine hits while striking out 16 over 14 innings but is 0-1 in his two home starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants SS Brandon Crawford (groin) likely will not be activated during the series despite being eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on Saturday.
2. Cincinnati LHP Tony Cingrani (oblique) began a throwing program this week but still is experiencing some soreness.
3. San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto is dealing with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand but is expected to make his scheduled start on Sunday.