Giants-Reds Preview - MLB

San Francisco (61-45) at Cincinnati (51-55)
A thrilling victory over the reigning World Series champions might be the spark the Cincinnati Reds need to get back on track and make a serious push for the postseason.

The Reds look to build on their first win this week when they continue a home set with the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.
Edgar Renteria(notes), the World Series MVP for San Francisco last season, hit an RBI single down the right field line off All-Star closer Brian Wilson(notes) in the 13th inning Friday to help Cincinnati (51-55) snap a four-game skid with a 4-3 victory.
“That’s the only guy you don’t want up there in that situation,” Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval(notes) said of Renteria, whose three-run homer for the Giants snapped a scoreless tie against Texas in the clinching Game 5 of last year’s World Series. “He’s done that a lot in that situation.”
The win provided some much-needed relief for the reigning NL Central champion Reds, who are 9-15 in July and fourth in the division, 6 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee.
“It’s always special because (the Giants are) great guys,” said Renteria, who has seven RBIs in his last six games. “No matter who we play right now, we have to concentrate on winning ballgames. We were lucky to win that one.”
Fred Lewis(notes) added three hits as the Reds managed to prevail despite blowing an early 3-1 lead. Teammate Joey Votto(notes) failed to extend his home run streak to four games, but went 1 for 4 with two walks and is 7 for 17 with five RBIs his last four games.
One of Votto’s two hits in five at-bats against scheduled San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner(notes) (6-9, 3.56 ERA) left the park.
The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts since giving up eight runs while recording just one out in a loss to Minnesota on June 21. Bumgarner, 6-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 13 starts after going 0-6 with a 4.25 ERA in his first eight outings, allowed a run and struck out eight in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win over Milwaukee on Sunday.
“I just go out and pitch,” the 21-year-old southpaw said.
After Bumgarner allowed eight runs in 2 2-3 innings in his first start against Cincinnati last year, he held the Reds to one run and struck out seven in seven innings of a 3-0 loss June 9.
Carlos Beltran(notes) singled Friday for his first hit since joining San Francisco (61-45) on Thursday, but he’s 1 for 9 with five strikeouts in two games with his new team. Sandoval had three hits in the series opener for the Giants, who lost for the second time in six games.
Sandoval is batting .413 in 16 career games versus Cincinnati and has gone 3 for 4 with a double against scheduled starter Mike Leake(notes) (8-6, 4.04), who allowed four hits and struck out eight over eight scoreless innings of a 10-2 win at San Francisco on June 11.
The right-hander has yielded three runs over 12 1-3 innings while losing his last two starts because his teammates have scored two runs combined in those contests. Leake gave up a pair of runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-2 loss to the New York Mets on Monday.