Drew Stubbs’ first career homer gives Cincinnati Reds 2-1 victory over San Francisco Giants

Stubbs powers Reds past Giants

CINCINNATI — Drew Stubbs hit his first career homer leading off the 10th inning, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.

Stubbs drove a 2-0 pitch from Bob Howry (1-6) off left-field foul screen to stop Cincinnati’s five-game skid. The 2006 first-round pick was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday when Willy Taveras was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Francisco Cordero (2-3) worked around a single in a scoreless 10th to pick up the win. The Reds had lost six of seven.

Matt Cain pitched eight crisp innings for the Giants, who had won three straight and four out of five. The All-Star right-hander allowed one run and eight hits but is winless in five starts since a 3-1 win at Colorado on July 24.

San Francisco was one game behind NL wild card-leading Colorado entering play on Thursday. The Giants and Rockies are scheduled to open a four-game series Friday in Denver.

Cain’s one mistake came in the sixth, when Laynce Nix hit a one-out drive to center for his first homer in 33 at-bats since Aug. 2 against Colorado. Nix’s 10th homer also snapped Cincinnati’s 19-inning scoreless streak dating to Joey Votto’s solo homer in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 8-5, 10-inning loss to the Giants.

Aaron Harang pitched seven solid innings for the Reds, yielding one run and six hits. The right-hander is 1-10 with a 4.78 ERA in his last 16 starts.

The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, and Juan Uribe scored on a wild pitch.

San Francisco put runners on first and third with one out in the eighth against Arthur Rhodes, but pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria grounded into a double play.

NOTES: Reds 2B Brandon Phillips left after the top of the third inning with a sore left wrist. Phillips was hit by a pitch on that wrist last Saturday. … The Reds placed RHP Johnny Cueto on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, with inflammation in his right shoulder and activated RHP Micah Owings. … Cincinnati sent 3B Scott Rolen to Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment. Rolen has been on the disabled list since Aug. 11 with a concussion from getting hit by a pitch on Aug. 2. … C Bengie Molina, who started 98 of San Francisco’s first 120 games, got the day off.