Bruce homers in 5th straight game, Reds beat Giants

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jay Bruce homered in his career-high fifth straight game, connecting off Madison Bumgarner and leading Dan Straily and the Cincinnati Reds over the slumping San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Wednesday.

Bruce connected for his 25th homer of the season. His sixth home run during his five-game streak broke a 1-all tie in the seventh inning.

The NL West-leading Giants got just four hits and lost for the ninth time in 11 games since the All-Star break. The last-place Reds are 8-4 over that stretch.

Straily (6-6) gave up three hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five in his longest outing of the season.

Tony Cingrani pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

Bumgarner (10-6) allowed one earned run and five hits in eight innings, striking out nine.

The Giants have lost six of his last eight starts. He hasn’t had much run support of late, with the Giants scoring 10 runs in his last five games.

Conor Gillaspie hit a solo homer for the Giants in the second.

San Francisco left fielder Angel Pagan dropped a flyball in the fifth, setting up Tucker Barnhart’s tying sacrifice fly.

Joey Votto had two of the Reds’ six hits.

Brandon Belt was 0 for 2 with a walk, snapping his 11-game hitting streak against the Reds. He went into the game as a career .398 hitter vs. Cincinnati, including a .522 mark since the beginning of last season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: INF Ramiro Pena, who left Tuesday night’s game early with a groin injury after taking a bad hop, was a late scratch from Wednesday’s lineup.

UP NEXT

Reds: Off Thursday, then LHP Brandon Finnegan (5-8, 4.93 ERA) starts at San Diego. He has an 11.05 ERA over his last four outings.

Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (13-2, 2.53) will pitch Thursday in the opener of a four-game series against NL East-leading Washington. He is 7-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 11 career starts against the Nationals with a 16-inning scoreless streak dating to 2014.

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