SF Giants snap seven-game win streak, lose in Cincinnati 3-2

The SF Giants lost to the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday evening, and look to head into their fourth and final game of the series tomorrow for the series win. They've won seven of their last eight games, and have been the hottest team in baseball since the All-Star Break. Despite going two strong innings, starting pitcher Ross Stripling hit a snag in the third, and the Giants couldn't come back from the deficit.

On a six-game losing streak, the last two courtesy of the Giants, the Reds came prepared Wednesday night to strike against Stripling. Stripling, who among the Giants starters has struggled the most this season, got through the first two innings without allowing a single hit. In the third, however, Stripling gave up two hard hit singles and a subsequent three-run homer to Will Benson, putting the Reds up 3-0.

Comparatively, the Giants fared poorly in the first three frames, reaching base three times but unable to capitalize on a single baserunner. Their first hit of the game was a Wilmer Flores single. Entering today's game, Flores had the highest OPS in MLB since July 2nd.

Despite his struggle in the third, Stripling made it through six innings, giving up four hits, the home run to Benson the only one that did damage. The Giants offense wasn't going to let Stripling leave the game without at least cutting into the Reds' lead. In the fifth they loaded the bases when David Villar was hit by a pitch, and the next two batters walked. Joc Pederson came up to bat with no outs, and indicative of the slight slump he's been in of late, grounded into a double play. Villar still managed to score, putting the Reds up only 3-1.

In the top of the seventh, as relief pitchers were warming up for the Giants to face the Reds in the bottom of the inning, Blake Sabol came up to bat and put away an opposite field home run 349 feet to bring the score to 3-2, Reds. That ended Reds' starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft's night.

Blake Sabol goes oppo 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/QsCQdJmIoq
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 20, 2023

But hacking into the lead didn't end up mattering much. The Giants couldn't get that last run to at least tie in the eighth, and struggled even more mightily in the ninth when they faced Reds All-Star closer Alexis Díaz.

The series will close tomorrow in Cincinnati, with Alex Cobb expected to take the mound for the Giants. First pitch will be at 9:35 AM Pacific.