And even more noteworthy, when the Reds lose the first game of a series, not once this season have they won that series.
So it was more-than-evident on Friday when they were no-hit by Blake Snell during the first game of the series that this one was in dire jeopardy.
And so it was. Behind the pitching of Hunter Greene, the Reds rebounded on Saturday, but then it was like U2′s song, ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday.’
The Reds hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning off San Francisco starter Robbie Ray by Jeimer Candelario and Santiago Espinal for a 2-0 lead.
But the Reds had only two more hits from the third through the ninth.
The top five occupants of the batting order, Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Ty France and Stuart Fairchild went 1 for 18.
After hitting two home runs Saturday, Tyler Stephenson was not in Sunday’s lineup and manager David Bell used two strangers in strange places — Fairchild in right and Espinal in left.
Reds starter Carson Spiers gave up a two-run homer in the fourth to Matt Chapman to tie it, 2-2, then gave up a leadoff home run in the sixth to LeMonte Wade, Jr., who was 1 for 21, to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.
When the game was still close, the Reds put a runner on third base three times and left him standing there.
De La Cruz reached on a fielder’s choice in the third with two outs and the Reds up, 2-0. He stole second and continued to third on Curt Casali’s throwing error. But Steer grounded out.
With the score 2-2 in the fifth, Espinal singled, stole second and stole third. It was wasted effort because Noelvi Marte, Luke Maile and India all struck out.
With the Reds trailing, 3-2, in the fifth De La Cruz was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. He took second a groundout and stole third, his MLB-leading 57th theft. But he remained anchored when France struck out and TJ Friedl was thrown out when third baseman Matt Chapman made a spectacular play on a slow roller.
And that’s where it stayed until the eighth when the Giants erupted for five runs against Sam Moll, Fernando Cruz and Yosver Zulueta to put it away.
Wade Jr. singled to open the eighth and Cruz replaced Moll, just in time to give up a 400-foot two-run home run to Tyler Fitzgerald to push the Giants’ margin to 5-2.
Cruz gave up a double and was replaced by Zulueta. Three hits followed, a two-run first-pitch double by Conforto and a run-scoring single by Jerar Concepcion.
During the three-game series won two games to one by the Giants, they hit eight home runs.
While losing their last nine Sunday games, the Reds are 5-14 for the season on Sundays and 18-29 during day games.
And they are nine games out of first place in the National League Central and 6 1/2 games behind the third and final wild card spot.
With only 51 games remaining, time is fast slipping away on the Reds.
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