CINCINNATI – Barry Bonds hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning – his 730th overall – and Shea Hillenbrand had a solo shot in the 10th that sent the surging San Francisco Giants over the slumping Cincinnati Reds 5-4.

The Giants have won three in a row and 15 of 21, pulling into contention for the NL wild card. The late comeback moved them back to .500 (69-69) for the first time since July 27.

Now, it’s the Reds who are fading away, losing nine of 10 and falling back in the pack of wild-card contenders.

The Reds were in line for a slump-busting victory before they made the mistake of letting starter Aaron Harang pitch to Bonds with the game on the line in the eighth.

Bonds has been on a tear lately, hitting safely in his last eight games. He has five homers in the last six, finding his home-run stroke while the Giants make their late surge

His latest homer cost the Reds their lead and their center fielder. Ken Griffey Jr. dug his right cleats into the padded wall while vainly trying to catch Bonds’ homer, which landed in the first row in right-center field.

Griffey came up limping and left the game, having dislocated the toe next to the big toe on his right foot. He was listed as day to day.

The homer left Bonds 25 homers shy of Hank Aaron’s career record and three away from his NL mark. It also left the game in the hands of the bullpens.

Hillenbrand’s two-out homer in the 10th off David Weathers (4-4) completed the comeback. Kevin Correia (1-0) retired four in a row, and Mike Stanton pitched the 10th for his sixth save in eight chances.

Moises Alou had an RBI double and a solo homer off Harang, who allowed only six hits in eight innings.

Cincinnati used a pair of solo homers off Brad Hennessey – by Rich Aurilia in the second and Jason LaRue in the fourth – to pull ahead 4-2.

The Giants had a setback in the fourth inning, when catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was hit on the back of the left forearm by Harang’s up-and-in fastball. He left the game for X-rays that found no fracture.

The rookie has started 64 of 85 games since he was called up June 2 from Double-A. He became the Giants’ primary catcher after Mike Matheny was unable to come back from a concussion sustained in late May, when he was hit in the head repeatedly by foul balls.

Notes: Aurilia’s homer was the first allowed by Hennessey since Aug. 2. He had gone 21 innings without giving one up. … A total of 215 homers have been hit at Great American Ball Park, most in the majors. … Reds closer Eddie Guardado will throw in the bullpen Tuesday, the first time he has tested his sore left forearm since he went on the 15-day DL on Aug. 20. “It feels better,” he said Monday. “It’s not going to be 100 percent until it gets fully rested over the winter, but I can deal with the pain I’ve got right now.”

AP-ES-09-04-06 2022EDT