Rookie Andrew Abbott allowed just one hit over eight shutout innings on Thursday, helping the host Cincinnati Reds salvage a split of a four-game series with a 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Abbott (5-2), the first Cincinnati pitcher to work eight innings this season, retired the final 12 batters he faced. He struck out six batters en route to recording his seventh quality start in nine outings.
Luke Maile homered among his three hits while Will Benson doubled twice, scored once and drove in a run for the Reds. Jonathan India and Jake Fraley each had two hits and scored a run.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Wilmer Flores drilled his fourth homer of the series and 12th this season to spoil the shutout.
San Francisco All-Star right-hander Alex Cobb (6-3) allowed five runs and nine hits while walking four in 4 1/3 innings.
Cobb took his first loss in seven starts, losing for the first time since May 28 at Milwaukee.
Maile got the Reds on the board in the third inning with his fourth home run, a two-run shot off Cobb.
The Giants didn’t get a hit off Abbott until Luis Matos doubled in the fourth inning after Flores walked. But on the hit, Flores attempted to score from first. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz snared Benson’s toss and then fired a one-hop throw to Maile, who applied the tag for the third out of the inning.
The Reds added two more runs in the fourth inning after Christian Encarnacion-Strand singled home India and came around to score on Benson’s double.
Cincinnati increased its lead to 5-0 in the fifth after Fraley doubled and scored on India’s single.
The Reds answered a six-game skid with back-to-back victories. The Giants had won seven in a row before losing two straight games.
–Field Level Media
