Giants hold off Reds, 5-3

SAN FRANCISCO Tim Hudson finished two outs away from qualifying for what could have been the 222nd victory of his career.

A bit of scorer’s discretion, then: Award the win to San Francisco Giants fans, who had every reason to be distracted yet filled AT&T Park as usual to watch a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

It was a Monday night. The opponent was not much of a drawing card. The Giants’ playoff hopes are on a ventilator. It was drizzling. And the San Francisco 49ers were opening their season on Monday Night Football. No wonder tickets flooded resale sites.

But most of those tickets found willing customers, and the ballpark was as spirited as ever when Matt Duffy hit a two-run double in the first inning. Brandon Belt, denied his own two-run double in the first by Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton, crushed an RBI triple in the third inning, and Marlon Byrd followed with a shot to the base of the arcade as the Giants improved to 17-5 at home since the All-Star Break.

If the Giants had established this kind of home-field advantage in the first half, they might have banked enough victories to remain in the thick of two playoff races. Unless the Los Angeles Dodgers and/or Chicago Cubs collapse, there isn’t much hope that the Giants will be a factor down the stretch.

But it’s never too early to generate momentum for next season on the field or in the stands.

Hudson was coming off a triumphant return to the rotation Tuesday in which he smacked a home run and held the Arizona Diamondbacks to a run in six innings. He then reiterated that he would retire after this season, joking that maybe he could keep plugging along if a team needed him to pitch in a 10-man rotation.

He received an extra day of rest before taking the mound Monday and appeared fresh enough while rolling through the first four innings. The Reds managed just one single, and Hudson didn’t allow a runner into scoring position.

Hudson didn’t get much of a break after the fourth, though. He struck out, and then Angel Pagan got thrown out trying to stretch a rather routine single on Reds right fielder Jay Bruce.

The fifth inning proved more trying for Hudson, as the Reds loaded the bases on a double, a single and a one-out walk. With 17 pitches in the inning and 70 on the night, Bruce Bochy went for the left-handed matchups, and Hudson appeared somewhat reluctant as he handed over the baseball with a 4-0 lead.

Hudson remained at 221 career victories, the most among active pitchers and tied with Joe Niekro for 74th on the all-time list. (Bartolo Colon is right on his heels with 218.)

Javier Lopez minimized the damage in the fifth with an assist to Belt, who fielded Bruce’s hard grounder behind the bag and did not hesitate to fire home for a forceout. Joey Votto drew a walk to score a run, and George Kontos retired Brandon Phillips to strand the bases loaded.

Bruce hit a two-run home run off Josh Osich in the seventh a rare blip for the left-hander, who had held lefty batters to a .133 average with 14 strikeouts in 46 at-bats.

But Sergio Romo remained close to untouchable in the eighth. He spun his way to three outs on eight pitches, including strikeouts of Phillips and Todd Frazier and has been scored upon just once in his last 23 outings. Right-handers are hitting just .148 against Romo this season, and he’s allowed a total of two home runs after giving up a career-high nine last season.

Santiago Casilla made it interesting in the ninth, allowing two singles to start the inning before winning two tense standoffs. He needed 14 pitches to strike out pinch hitters Skip Schumaker and Tucker Barnhart, and even with Jeremy Affeldt warm, Bochy allowed Casilla to face Bruce. He lined out to a backpedaling Byrd in front of the arcade as Casilla recorded his 33rd save in 38 chances.

Casilla needs eight more games finished to vest a $6.5 million option for next season.

The Reds did not help themselves in the field. Shortstop Eugenio Suarez dropped a throw on the double-play pivot for an error that preceded Duffy’s double in the first inning. The Giants added another unearned run in the eighth when Suarez made a throwing error after fielding Duffy’s grounder. Duffy came home on Belt’s sacrifice fly.

Joe Panik had an MRI on his lower back, and Bochy acknowledged what already was out in broad daylight: It’s unlikely his All-Star second baseman will play again this season. MRI results weren’t immediately available.

Shortstop Brandon Crawford continued to take swings and slowly work his way back from oblique and calf injuries. Outfielder Hunter Pence is further away but hasn’t given up on returning from his oblique injury this season.

Buster Posey scalded a line drive and had another potential hit taken away, going 0 for 3 with a walk to drop his average to .327. Washington’s Bryce Harper continues to lead the N.L. batting race by a slim margin; he went 2 for 5 and is hitting .333.

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