Local product Kyle Harrison made his first major league home start a memorable one, striking out 11 and combining with three relievers on a six-hitter in the San Francisco Giants' 4-1 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Wilmer Flores, Patrick Bailey, Paul DeJong and Wade Meckler drove in runs for the Giants, who moved a game in front of the Reds as they chase the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League wild-card race.
Pitching in front of family and a large gathering of friends and former teammates from De La Salle High School in the Oakland suburb of Concord, Calif., Harrison (1-0) struck out the first five batters he faced en route to 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He allowed three hits and two walks.
The 22-year-old left-hander made his big-league debut last Tuesday in Philadelphia.
The closest the Reds came to scoring against Harrison came after he had left two on with one out in the seventh, with the Giants up 4-0. Ryan Walker came on in relief and served up a single to pinch hitter Nick Martini, but right fielder Luis Matos gunned down Christian Encarnacion-Strand at the plate, preserving the shutout.
Walker then struck out pinch hitter Will Benson to end the seventh.
The Reds scored off Tyler Rogers in the eighth on an Elly De La Cruz RBI double after a two-out single by Nick Senzel. Giants closer Camilo Doval then threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 35th save.
The Giants wasted no time getting on the board against Reds starter Andrew Abbott (8-4), opening the bottom of the first with an Austin Slater single, Thairo Estrada walk and Flores RBI double.
Bailey doubled home a run and DeJong followed with a sacrifice fly in a two-run third before Meckler capped the home team's scoring with an RBI double in the sixth.
Abbott was pulled after 3 1/3 innings, charged with three runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out six.
J.D. Davis had two hits for the Giants, who won a series opener for the first time since Aug. 7 against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Reds lost for the fourth time in five games since opening a 10-game Western swing with three straight wins.
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