BC-BBN–Giants-Reds,0611

Reds 5, Giants 3

AP Photos CSB101-105

By JOE KAY

AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI (AP) – Ken Griffey Jr. homered twice, and Barry Larkin added a tiebreaking two-run shot Saturday, powering the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the struggling San Francisco Giants.

Griffey hit two solo homers, giving him three in three days, six for the season and 487 for his career. Larkin broke a fifth-inning tie with a two-run shot for his first homer since Aug. 1.

Paul Wilson (4-0) extended the best start of his career by giving up only two runs in seven innings – solo homers by Jeffrey Hammonds and J.T. Snow.

Todd Jones pitched a perfect eighth, and Danny Graves allowed a leadoff homer to Dustan Mohr in the ninth before finishing for his 13th save in 16 chances. Graves has 144 career saves, four shy of John Franco’s franchise record.

The Reds again pitched to Barry Bonds very carefully. He flied out three times and drew his 49th walk, the most in the majors. Since missing three games with a sinus infection, Bonds is 0-for-8 with five walks in three games.

Cincinnati’s decision to walk Bonds intentionally in the series opener backfired Friday, helping the Giants pull away to a 6-1 win, their only victory in the last five games.

The Giants have scored a total of seven runs in their last four losses.

Dustin Hermanson (1-2), who hadn’t pitched since April 21 because of a strained lower back, allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.

Hermanson, who grew up in southwest Ohio, fell to 3-10 career against his boyhood team. His hitting figured into this loss – he stranded two runners in each of his two at-bats, ending the innings with a strikeout and a flyout.

The ball carried well on a breezy, 80-degree afternoon. The teams combined for six homers, a triple, four doubles and three flyouts to the warning track.

Hammonds started it with his second homer in the first inning. Griffey matched him with a first-pitch homer deep into the right-field stands in the second.

Griffey also flied out to the warning track in his next at-bat, preserving his unusual career statistics against Hermanson. He has only three hits off the right-hander in 19 at-bats, but all three have been homers.

His other homer came in the eighth off left-hander Scott Eyre for the 49th multihomer game of his career.

Griffey sat out the first two games of the homestand with a tight hamstring. Manager Dave Miley dropped him to fifth in the batting order when he returned – his lowest spot since 1990 – and the outfielder has gone 5-for-12 with two homers and six RBIs.

Snow snapped an 0-for-15 slump with his first homer of the season in the third inning, but Larkin put the Reds up 4-2 with his two-run shot in the fifth off Hermanson.

Larkin, who turned 40 last month, has hit safely in his last six games, emerging from his customary slow April at the plate.

Notes: Giants INF Pedro Feliz homered after Bonds was intentionally walked Friday night. After Bonds walked in the fifth to load the bases on Saturday, Feliz grounded into a double play. … Reds pitching coach Don Gullett missed the game to attend his daughter’s graduation from the University of Kentucky. … Former Bengals QB Boomer Esiason made his first visit to the ballpark. Reds OF Ryan Freel saw him standing on the field, sheepishly approached and said, “If I get a football, would you sign it for me?” Esiason assured he would, then told reporters, “See, somebody remembers.” Esiason led the Bengals to their second Super Bowl in 1989.

AP-ES-05-08-04 1550EDT