Anthony DeSclafani's return to Cincinnati couldn't have gone any better.
DeSclafani, who spent the previous six seasons with the Reds, completely shut them down over seven innings, leading the Giants to a 4-2 win, their fourth in six games on this road trip. DeSclafani allowed just six hits, one run and struck out seven while throwing a season-high 107 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 2.03.
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DeSclafani gave up a solo homer to start his night and ran into trouble in the second when the Reds got back-to-back singles with no outs. He got out of that jam with some of his best stuff of the season, hitting a season-best 97 mph while striking out three straight batters. The Reds barely touched him after that.
Reds ace Luis Castillo struck out 11 in five innings, but the Giants (26-16) took a lead on an Alex Dickerson blast and held on.
Here are three things to know:
Bring Back The Chant
Dickerson entered the day with a .592 OPS and just four extra-base hits, but he finally looked like his old self. Dickerson hit a hard double in his first at-bat and then yanked a three-run homer into the right field corner in the fourth, giving the Giants a 3-1 lead. The homer gave the Giants 15 consecutive road games with a homer, the longest streak in franchise history.
Both of Dickerson's early hits came off Castillo, and when the Reds brought lefty Sean Doolittle into the game in the sixth, Dickerson roped a single to right. He raised his average 25 points and his OPS 86 point in the game.
Hello, Old Friend. And Goodbye.
Heath Hembree didn't allow a run in his first nine appearances and gave up just one hit, but Brandon Crawford saddled him with an ERA in the seventh, crushing a hanging slider into the visiting bullpen.
Crawford and Hembree -- formerly a pretty good Giants relief prospect -- briefly played together in 2013 before the right-hander was dealt to the Red Sox for Jake Peavy.
Crawford's homer was his 10th of the year. He became the first Giant to hit double-digits and joined Trea Turner as the only big league shortstops with at least 10 homers. He's also the first Giant since Barry Bonds in 2007 to hit 10 homers in his first 36 games.
Another One Down
The Giants entered the season with enviable depth at second base, but it's been decimated by leg injuries. Wilmer Flores was the latest to go down, coming out of the game with right hamstring tightness after an awkward run from first to third.
Donovan Solano (calf) and Tommy La Stella (hamstring) have both spent long stretches on the IL after pulling up on the bases, although Solano could be back very soon. He was set to play nine innings for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday but wasn't in the lineup, and it's possible he's on the way to Cincinnati. La Stella is out for at least another month.
