Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski and Honduras-born Mauricio Dubon all cleared the outfield walls.
And when the Giants weren’t hitting homers, the Reds helped them out defensively with two errors and a botched rundown play that led to runs.
It has been a recent pattern for the Reds, sloppy defense.
Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray turned in a second straight clunker. He lasted only five innings and gave up four runs and five hits. Two of the five hits were home runs.
The Giants scored a run in the top of the first when Gray walked leadoff hitter Mike Tauchman and he came around to score on second baseman Jonathan India’s throwing error.
Another error, this one by shortstop Eugenio Suarez, put a runner on base ahead of a two-run homer by Wilmer Flores, making it 3-0 in the fourth.
In the fifth, Gray faced fellow Vanderbilt University product Yastrzemski and Yaz won big. He launched a 430-foot home run high into the right-field seats.
San Francisco’s home run fun continued in the sixth when Dubon ripped one off relief pitcher Carson Fulmer to make it 5-0.
Meanwhile, the Reds were stymied for six innings by Giants starter Logan Webb, who arrived in Cincinnati with a 7.58 earned run average on the road.
He held the Reds scoreless for his six innings — no runs, six hits, one walk and four strikeouts. He left after throwing only 85 pitches.
The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Gray struck out and Jesse Winker grounded to first.
They put two on with one out in the third, but Suarez grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Reds scored a run in the seventh against relief pitcher Jarlin Garcia. With two outs, Garcia walked pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson. He took second on a wild pitch and scored when Winker snapped a 0 for 10 spell with a run-scoring single.
San Francisco got that run back in the eighth when relief pitcher Cionel Perez walked the first hitter, Darin Ruff, on four pitches. Flores doubled, putting runners on third and second.
Dubon hit a ground ball and the Reds trapped Flores in a rundown, but in the process of chasing down Flores, second baseman Kyle Farmer bobbled the ball and Ruf sprinted home before the out and it was 6-1.
Farmer, who has played shortstop most of the year, began the game at first base and was playing second base during the rundown.
He also went 0 for 4 at the plate and personally shouldered some heavy blame.
“Tonight was a tough one and I didn’t play well personally,” he said. “I just messed up there (on the rundown. No excuses. I should have thrown it home, but I went blank and that shouldn’t happen in a big-league ball game. I regret it and that run is on me.”
Farmer isn’t the only player who is involved in musical positions. Nick Senzel is all over the place, Suarez is bouncing back-and-forth between third base and shortstop and Mike Moustakas has been all over the infield.
Farmer was asked if it might be easier for players to concentrate on one position and he said, “Yes, there is a big benefit to it, for sure. Guys get comfortable. But our team has so many great athletes that I think we have to be comfortable playing many positions.”
After falling behind, 6-1, it was time for the Reds to get into the home-run parade in the eighth inning, their magical inning these days.
With former Cincinnati pitcher Mat Wisler on the mound, Tyler Naquin and Suarez hit back-to-back home runs.
That cut the lead to 6-3 and drew the Reds even with the Giants for the most home runs in the National League at 56.
The three runs in the seventh and eighth gave the Reds 76 runs this season after the seventh inning, most in the majors
Giants closer and submariner Tyler Rogers and his 0.76 earned run average came in for the ninth.
Stephenson opened the inning by punching a 1-and-2 single to center field. But Winker hit into a double play, the third of the night turned by the Giants.
Senzel grounded to shortstop Brandon Crawford and instead of ending the game, he threw wildly to first for an error, his first error of the season.
But the ever-dangerous Mr. Clutch, Nick Castellanos, flied out to end it.
In addition to defensive lapses, another Reds trend has been falling way behind early and relying on late rallies and comebacks. This time it fell short.
“The first couple of innings tonight wasn’t good for us,” said Suarez. “You see at the end of the game we battled, we never give up.”
Asked about the need to score some early runs, Suarez said, “Yes, 100 percent. It is hard to come back every time.”
Although he is a natural shortstop, Suarez has not been efficient during his time there this season. But he says he feels comfortable there.
“I feel great, feel so good at shortstop,” he said. “That’s my position, I like to play there, I enjoy it a lot. My error today was a mistake. I don’t want to make errors. But I feel so good at shortstop.
“I just want to say we had a bad day today,” he added. “Everybody knows, everybody sees, we’re better than that.”
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