Reds look to continue mastery of Giants

CINCINNATI -- San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy sat in his office at Great American Ball Park on Friday afternoon and reminisced about the 2012 National League Division Series when his team rallied from a two-games-to-none deficit to beat the Reds en route to their second of three World Series titles.

"I'm still amazed what those guys did, coming back like that," Bochy said. "They did it a few times in that postseason."

Hunter Pence's pre-game motivational speeches and Buster Posey's grand slam in Game 5 helped the Giants win three straight on the road against a Reds team that hadn't lost three straight all season.

But, over the next five seasons, San Francisco (11-19) rarely has gotten the best of the Reds.

The teams meet again Saturday night, in the second game of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Since 2008, Cincinnati is 37-24 against the Giants, and 26-16 over the past six seasons. The .606 overall winning percentage is the highest of any Giants opponent since 2008 (minimum 50 games).

In quite the contrast to Friday's series opener which featured right-handers Matt Cain and Bronson Arroyo who have 24 combined years of major-league experience, a pair of rookies will start on Saturday.

Left-hander Amir Garrett will make his sixth career start, coming off a strong seven-inning performance on Monday against the Pirates in which he allowed only two solo home runs. When he works hitters down in the zone, the 24-year-old Garrett can be dominant.

"When you're a left-handed starter, quite often you're going to face a stacked right-handed hitting lineup," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "When that happens, if you can hit that down-and-away corner when you need to, that's a blessing. If that pitch is up and away, it's a possible double or triple waiting to happen."

The Giants will counter with 26-year-old Ty Blach who is making his third start of the season in place of injured Madison Bumgarner.

Blach has appeared in nine games with two starts for the Giants, allowing five runs in 17.2 innings pitched (2.55 ERA). He did not factor in the decision in his last start on April 30, despite throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks in a 5-2 loss to the Padres.

Blach will be facing Cincinnati for the first time on Saturday. He'll have to contend with a hot Reds' offense led by second baseman Jose Peraza who has a nine-game hitting streak and had a career-high four RBI on Friday night including a three-run triple in a 13-3 rout.

The Giants are still without shortstop Brandon Crawford who's eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday but is still recovering from a right groin strain.

Cincinnati (15-14) has won three straight to move above .500 for the first time since April 23. Price is watching more baseball highlights these days.

"I watch the baseball highlights if we win," Price said, prior to Friday's game. "I watch the MLB (Network) one time through. That's what I watch. I can't watch 24/7. I don't know how these other guys do it. If we don't win, I don't watch it."