Brandon Phillips’ triple in 8th rallies Reds over Giants 7-6

Phillips rallies Reds over Giants 7-6

CINCINNATI — Brandon Phillips had four hits, including a two-run triple in the eighth inning Thursday that rallied the Cincinnati Reds to yet another comeback win, 7-6 over the San Francisco Giants.

Phillips’ triple off Guillermo Mota (0-2) tied it at 6. Joey Votto’s single up the middle gave the Reds their 12th win in their final at-bat, the most in the majors.

The Reds opened a 1½-game lead over idle St. Louis in the NL Central, the latest in a season that Cincinnati has been in first place since June 17, 2002, their final year at Cinergy Field. They finished 78-84 that year under manager Bob Boone.

Cincinnati has a streak of nine straight losing seasons, its longest in more than a half-century.

Left-hander Arthur Rhodes (2-1) retired five batters — his longest appearance in two years — for the win. Francisco Cordero retired the side in the ninth, getting his 17th save in 21 tries.

The Reds’ latest comeback settled a wild game of wasted chances and pitching surprises. San Francisco grounded into three double plays with the bases loaded, and had another runner caught in a rundown between third and home after a botched squeeze play.

The Giants also lost starter Todd Wellemeyer, who hasn’t won on the road since May 27, 2009, with St. Louis. The Giants handed him his best chance yet — a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning — but he hurt himself trying to add to it.

Wellemeyer grounded into a bases-loaded double play in the third, straining to try to beat the relay to first base. He hurt his right thigh and pulled up after crossing the base, then left the game.

Summoned on a moment’s notice, Denny Bautista had a tough time getting going, giving up four runs in the bottom of the third. Cincinnati used a pair of walks and two infield hits while batting around.

Even then, rookie Mike Leake was in line for his first big league loss — until the majors’ last-minute team went at it again.

Leake’s 12th big-league start was his roughest. The right-hander with the nasty curve gave up a career-high 11 hits and five runs in only 4 1-3 innings. It was the shortest appearance by Leake, whose five wins are tied for most wins by an NL rookie.

Aaron Rowand and Aubrey Huff homered off Leake, but the Giants couldn’t take advantage of those three straight bases-loaded chances to put the game away.

NOTES: The Giants begin a six-game homestand against Oakland and Baltimore on Friday. Cincinnati hosts Kansas City, which swept a three-game interleague series from the Reds last season. … The Reds gave SS Orlando Cabrera a day out of the starting lineup. Phillips took his spot in the order, batting leadoff for the first time since 2007.