Cutch's milestone helps Giants outpace Reds

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen didn't see much difference between his 1,500th career hit and the 1,499 that came before it. Just another notch in his big league career, nothing more, nothing less.
"I played long enough to do it, that's what I always say," McCutchen said after doubling twice in San Francisco's 10-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. "I don't want to stop at 1,500. It's another hit. Hopefully I keep going and hopefully get 1,500 more."
McCutchen might have downplayed his milestone moment but it continued a rising trend for the 31-year-old.
The two doubles extended McCutchen's hitting streak to 13 games, longest active streak in the National League. It also raised his average to .259, not bad for a guy who was batting .198 less than three weeks ago.
"He's a five-tool player," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "The bat, the speed, his arm … everything."

Brandon Belt had three hits, including his seventh home run, to go with three RBIs to help San Francisco end the Reds' six-game winning streak.
The Giants have won two straight since dropping six in a row.

They did it with plenty of offense on a night when starting pitcher Chris Stratton (4-3) struggled. The right-hander pitched through traffic most of the night, allowing four runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.
Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria added two hits apiece. Crawford and Kelby Tomlinson drove in two runs each.

The Giants had 14 hits overall but it was McCutchen's milestone moment that highlighted the night for San Francisco.
The five-time All-Star doubled and scored as part of a three-run first inning then got No. 1,500 in the second when he doubled in Grégor Blanco, both off Reds starter Sal Romano, who surrendered six runs in 2 1/3 innings. McCutchen flied out twice and reached on an error and scored in his other three at-bats.
"Sal has been doing a really good job for us. His stuff wasn't as sharp tonight," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "He was out there competing like he always does but it just wasn't quite coming out of his hand the way it had been lately, and the Giants made him pay for it."

McCutchen, one of two players in the Major Leagues to have six hits in one game this season, joined teammate Longoria in reaching 1,500 hits this season. Longoria recorded his 1,500th career hit May 5 in Atlanta.
"Facing him for so many years, Longoria as well, it's somebody else that you have to game-plan and worry about," Posey said. "When you add a guy like that to the lineup, whether he's being as productive as he has in the past or not, it's still going to help lengthen your lineup out."
The Giants needed all of the offense to slow down the streaking Reds. Tucker Barnhart and Scott Schebler both homered off Stratton but the Giants turned two double plays, including a strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out in the sixth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Better the second time: Blanco made a big gaffe when he let Joey Votto's single in the third skip past him in left field for an error. That allowed Votto to take second, but Blanco stranded him there when he made a diving catch on Scooter Gennett's sinking liner to end the inning.

Doubling up: The Reds trailed, 6-4, but got the tying run to the plate with one out in the sixth after Stratton was knocked out of the game. The Giants escaped the jam when reliever Pierce Johnson struck out Billy Hamilton and Posey threw out Rosell Herrera trying to steal second base for an inning-ending double play.
"Buster's throw, what a beautiful throw," Bochy said. "He came out of the chute and put it right on the money, which he had to. To me, that was probably one of the turning points in the game."

SOUND SMART
Crawford got off to a slow start during the first month of the season but has heated up over the past two weeks, going 21-for-57 (.368) over his last 13 games.

HE SAID IT
"We stay away from him. He's miserable. That's what's tough on these guys, when they can't do that." -- Bochy, talking to reporters pregame about injured pitcher Madison Bumgarner's demeanor when he's unable to pitch
UP NEXT
Left-hander Ty Blach (3-4, 4.20 ERA) pitches the middle game of the series for the Giants on Tuesday and will try to get back on track after getting roughed up in his last start. Blach was charged with five runs over 4 1/3 innings, a stark contrast to his previous two outings when he allowed three runs over 13 2/3 innings. Right-hander Tyler Mahle (3-4, 3.86) goes for Cincinnati.