Reds 3, Giants 0
Reds 3, Giants 0: Homer Bailey threw the second no-hitter of his career and Brandon Phillips belted a two-run homer as host Cincinnati posted its third win in four games.
Bailey (5-6), who had won just one of his previous six starts, carried a perfect game into the seventh inning before issuing a walk to leadoff hitter Gregor Blanco. But the 27-year-old went on to record nine consecutive outs, retiring Blanco on a groundout to third to send the crowd at Great American Ball Park into a frenzy.
Bailey, who struck out nine while throwing 109 pitches, also held the Pirates hitless in Pittsburgh on Sept. 28. He is the first pitcher responsible for the last two no-hitters in the major leagues since Nolan Ryan in 1974-75. Bailey became the third Reds pitcher to toss two no-hitters, joining Johnny Vander Meer (June 11 and 15, 1938) and Jim Maloney (Aug. 19, 1965 and April 30, 1969).
The Reds gave Bailey all the support he needed in the first inning, when Shin-Soo Choo led off with a double and scored two batters later on Joey Votto's sacrifice fly. Cincinnati made it 3-0 in the sixth as Votto drew a leadoff walk before Phillips deposited an 0-1 pitch from Tim Lincecum over the left-field wall for his 12th blast.
Lincecum (4-9) lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits. The two-time Cy Young Award winner, who walked two and struck out eight, has lost seven of his last eight decisions.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Bailey's no-hitter was the 16th in Reds history. ... The Giants have registered two hits over the first two contests of the four-game series, with both coming in Monday's rain-shortened, six-inning loss. ... San Francisco fell to 1-7 on its 10-game road trip. It has dropped nine of 10 away from home and 10 of 12 overall.