Reds Can’t Hold Lead in 5-2 Loss

Every division leader except Cleveland had 30 wins heading into their games Tuesday. The San Francisco Giants wanted to join the group.

They did so with a late two-out rally Tuesday night. Brian Johnson and Bill Mueller homered in a four-run seventh inning that set up win No. 30, a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

San Francisco’s 13th come-from-behind victory left the Giants (30-22) a season-high eight games over .500. By winning nine of their last 13, the second-place Giants have closed in on NL West-leading San Diego.

“We needed it and we wanted it,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “We wanted No. 30 today. The top clubs in both leagues have hit that 30 mark. We wanted it.”

Kirk Rueter (6-3) won his fifth consecutive decision over the Reds by giving up five hits in six-plus innings. Robb Nen got the final three outs for his 12th save.

Mike Remlinger (3-6), making his first start for the Reds since he pulled a groin muscle on May 16, began the seventh with a 2-1 lead.

After getting the first two out, Remlinger left a 3-and-0 fastball over the plate belt-high for Johnson.

“There’s no reason to throw anything but a fastball there to throw a strike,” said Johnson, who got exactly what he expected. “That’s what I was looking for--something in the zone. I put a big swing on it.”

Rueter followed with an infield single, Stan Javier singled and Mueller pulled a full-count pitch--another belt-high fastball--for his fifth homer and a 5-2 lead.

A slumping offense has been the key to Cincinnati’s recent woes. For the third consecutive game, no one had more than one hit. The Reds have had back-to-back hits only three times in the last three games.