Reds Rally Again and Defeat Giants

Josh Hall, a 22-year-old right-hander called up from double-A Chattanooga earlier in the day, settled down after giving up Barry Bonds’ 34th homer, and the Cincinnati Reds stayed on their roll by rallying for a 5-4 victory Saturday over the San Francisco Giants.

Barry Larkin drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning that broke a 4-4 tie and sent the West Division-leading Giants to their third consecutive defeat.

The Giants are 11-5 since the All-Star break but have lost three straight games for the first time since mid-June.

The Reds are 5-1 since Monday, when they fired Manager Bob Boone and General Manager Jim Bowden and embarked upon a budget-slashing makeover. Four key players were traded for prospects and cash.

The turmoil hasn’t spilled over to the field, where the Reds have pulled off five late-inning rallies. Larkin senses that the players are trying to make a point.

“Normally it’s the players directed toward the media, or the players directed toward the world,” Larkin said. “In this case, I think it’s the players in here directed toward the decision to trade some of the better players we had this year.

“I don’t want to say it’s players versus the front office, but guys down here were upset about what happened. Now there are opportunities, and guys are taking advantage.”

Ryan Wagner (1-0) got his first major league win despite giving up solo homers by Benito Santiago and Andres Galarraga that tied it at 4-4.

Wagner, the Reds’ top pick in the June draft, hadn’t given up a run in his first five appearances. Santiago hit his 11th homer in the sixth inning, and Galarraga tied it in the seventh.

After yielding the home run to Bonds, Hall gave up singles to Edgardo Alfonzo and Santiago and a run-scoring double by Jeffrey Hammonds. He then held the Giants without another hit before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the fifth.

Bonds’ 647th career homer left him 13 behind Willie Mays for third place on the career list.