Giants Fall To Reds, Duvall Homers In First AB
Adam Duvall jogged out to his position at first base, took a moment to look up at the crowd and let it sink in before getting ready to make his major league debut.
In his first 27 hours as a major league ballplayer, Duvall was part of Tim Lincecum's no-hitter and then hit a home run in his first major league hit.
It wasn't enough as Mike Leake and closer Arodlis Chapman combined on a five-hitter to help the Cincinnati Reds beat San Francisco 3-1 on Thursday night, sending the Giants to their 12th loss in 16 games.
"The nerves were there, that's for sure," Duvall said. "I tried telling myself it's the same game, just a bigger crowd."
Leake (6-6) has devastated the Giants in four career starts at AT&T Park. Duvall's homer was just the third run Leake has allowed in 31 innings here.
"To be honest I was just hoping it would go out," Duvall said. "I had heard a lot about how hard it was to hit a home run here. When I finally saw it land in the seats it was a pretty cool feeling."
He enjoyed his trip around the bases - what little he remembers of it. He had his family and some friends in town to share the moment and thought he looked up at them as he rounded the bases.
"I probably saw them but it was quite a whirlwind," he said. "I don't know what I saw after I hit it."
Duvall's homer, a pair of doubles from Buster Posey, and Ryan Vogelsong's outing were the only things worth cheering about for the Giants.
"That's a nice debut for him," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He managed to hit one out and get us within two. That was huge. We're not swinging the bats very well.
"That was a great start from Vogey. You can't ask for anything more."
Posey, who doubled with two outs in the first and again leading off the ninth, took a foul ball off the big toe of his left foot and needed time to let the feeling return.
"It numbed up on him real good," Bochy said. "It took a while to go away."
Vogelsong (5-4) allowed a run on five hits over six innings one day after Lincecum threw his no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. He struck out seven and walked one.
"I rubbed up against him before the game, but it didn't work," Vogelsong said. "I just wasn't good enough."
Jean Machi, who allowed Brandon Phillips' home run leading off the seventh, had his scoreless streak end at 25 1-3 innings.
The Reds ended a scoreless duel with a run in the fifth. Phillips, who missed the last three games with a bruised heel, led off with a single. Two outs later, Zack Cozart doubled him home.
Jay Bruce followed Phillips' homer with a double and scored on Ryan Ludwick's single.
Duvall hit a 0-2 pitch from Leake into the left field bleachers to put the Giants on the scoreboard.
Leake improved to 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in four starts at AT&T Park.
The Giants threw out two runners at home. Billy Hamilton tried to score on Devin Mesoraco's shallow fly to second baseman Joe Panik in the sixth, and Brandon Crawford nailed Mesoracso trying to score on Phillips' double to center field in the eighth.
NOTES: RHP Johnny Cueto (7-5, 1.86), the major league leader in ERA, pitches for the Reds on Friday night. He's won his last two decisions. ... LHP Madison Bumgarner (9-4, 2.63) goes for the Giants. He's 2-2 in five starts against the Reds. ... Duvall became the 11th Giant since 1958 to homer in his first game. ... Giants 1B Brandon Belt began a rehab assignment at Single-A San Jose on Thursday. The plan calls for him to DH through Sunday and then join Triple A Fresno. ... Giants IF Marco Scutaro resumes his rehab in the Arizona League on Friday and is scheduled to play up to five innings at second base. ... The Junior Giants Stretch Drive Fund, created in honor of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, began Thursday to help provide baseball programs in 90 underserved communities. Information can be obtained at the website jrgiant.org.
Updated June 27, 2014
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