Reds' Bailey flirts with no-hitter, shuts out Giants

[June 30, 2014]  Reds 4, Giants 0: Homer Bailey carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with his fourth career shutout as visiting Cincinnati completed a four-game sweep.

Brayan Pena and Skip Schumaker each recorded two hits and an RBI while Billy Hamilton and Brandon Phillips drove in one run apiece for the Reds, who have won five straight and eight of nine. Bailey (8-4) struck out seven as he improved to 4-0 lifetime against San Francisco, allowing three hits and walking one en route to his sixth major-league complete game and first victory in four starts.

Buster Posey ended the no-hit bid with a two-out single while Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence recorded the other base hits for the Giants, who have lost 15 of their last 19 contests. Tim Hudson (7-5) suffered his third straight loss despite yielding only two runs and five hits over eight-plus innings.
 

Cincinnati grabbed the lead in the third inning, when Schumaker led off with the game's first hit - a single - and scored on Hamilton's double. The Reds put away the game with a three-run rally in the ninth as Phillips lifted a sacrifice fly before Pena and Schumaker delivered RBI infield singles.

Bailey retired the first nine batters he faced before issuing a leadoff walk to Gregor Blanco in the fourth. Sandoval followed Posey's hit with a single to put runners on the corners before Michael Morse struck out, ending San Francisco's best scoring chance.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Posey was 1-for-13 lifetime against Bailey before his seventh-inning single. ... Bailey tossed a no-hitter - the second of his career - versus the Giants less than one year ago (July 2, 2013). ... Giants LHP Jeremy Affeldt provided anything but relief in the ninth, allowing two runs and three hits while committing a balk, uncorking a wild pitch and hitting a batter in one-third of an inning. ... The Reds have won 11 of their last 13 games in San Francisco, including the postseason.

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