Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) allowed one hit in a career-high eight innings Thursday against the San Francisco Giants in Cincinnati. (AP photo)
CINCINNATI — Andrew Abbott and Derek Law combined on two-hitter, Luke Maile homered and the Cincinnati Reds beat San Francisco Giants 5-1 on Thursday for a four-game split.
Abbott (5-2), a 24-year-old rookie left-hander making his ninth big league start, allowed one hit in a career-high eight innings. He retired his first eight batters before walking Brett Wisely, then walked Wilmer Flores starting the fourth.
Luis Matos hit a double that went to the left-field wall on two hops for the only hit against Abbott. Left fielder Will Benson threw to rookie shortstop Elly De La Cruz, whose one-hop relay was up the first-base line. Maile grabbed the ball, and the catcher lunged toward the plate and tagged the sliding Flores in the batter’s box.
Abbott retired his next 12 batters.
Flores hit a ninth-inning homer off Derek Law.
Cincinnati got consecutive victories for the first time since a five-game winning streak from July 2-6. The Giants lost their second straight after a seven-game winning streak.
Maile had three hits. Jake Fraley, Jonathan India and Will Benson each added two hits for the Reds (52-46), who are 2 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central.
All-Star right-hander Alex Cobb gave up five runs, a season-high nine hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Maile hit a two-run homer in the third on a slider, Christian Encarnacion-Strand had an RBI single in the fourth and scored on Benson’s double, and India had a run-scoring single in the fifth.
Up next
Giants: LHP Alex Wood (4-3. 4.53) starts Friday’s series opener at Washington and RHP Jake Irvin (2-5, 4.96(
Reds: RHP Ben Lively (4-5 3.72) is scheduled to start Friday’s opener of a three-game series against Arizona and LHP Tommy Henry (5-2, 3.89).
