Rafael Devers blasted a three-run home run and five relievers took over after injured starter Carson Whisenhunt exited, completing a five-hitter as the San Francisco Giants opened a week-long homestand with a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Drew Gilbert doubled twice and scored a pair of runs for the Giants, who teed off on Reds ace Chase Burns (14-3) for all five of their runs in the first two innings en route to snapping a four-game losing streak.
Whisenhunt stood to benefit from the early offense until experiencing pain in his left forearm while retiring Sal Stewart for the second out of the third inning. After a visit from the trainer at the mound, the left-hander was pulled from the game, having allowed two hits in his 2 2/3 innings.
Jason Foley (1-1) recorded the last out of the third, then teamed with fellow relievers Reiver Sanmartin, Ryan Walker, Carson Seymour and Dylan Smith on 6 1/3 innings of three-hit relief. En route to their 10th shutout of the season, the Giants recorded 11 strikeouts in the game, including three by Whisenhunt.
The Giants wasted no time getting to Burns, with Gilbert launching his fifth pitch for a ground-rule double and Devers following two pitches later with a single. Jung Hoo Lee drove in the first run with a single, after which Turner Hill plated Devers with a double.
Burns retired the first two Giants he faced in the second before Christian Koss singled and Gilbert doubled again, setting the table for Devers, who crushed his 27th home run for a 5-0 lead.
Burns was pulled after 3 2/3 innings, having allowed a season-high-tying five runs and a season-high-tying nine hits. He walked one and struck out five.
Reds relievers Sam Moll, Julian Garcia and Emilio Pagan combined for 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief.
Koss joined Gilbert and Devers with two hits each for the Giants, who lost an earlier series at Cincinnati 2-1.
Tyler Stephenson collected two of the Reds’ five hits as Cincinnati lost for the third time in four outings on a nine-game trip. The Reds did not record an extra-base hit on a night when they were out-hit 10-5.
