Surkamp roughed up by Reds in return to big leagues

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants' futility against the Cincinnati Reds continued in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader, as Eric Surkamp was hit hard and often in San Francisco's 9-3 loss.

In what was supposed to be Surkamp's comeback, the Reds made him go away after he allowed seven runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. Performing almost a year to the day since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery last July 24, Surkamp retired the first four batters he faced in his first big league appearance since Sept. 28, 2011. Not much went right for him afterward.

Summoned from Triple-A Fresno solely to pitch this game, Surkamp encountered trouble with one out in the second inning as Jay Bruce roped a ground-rule double and scored on Todd Frazier's single, a popup to short right field that appeared catchable for second baseman Marco Scutaro but grazed his glove. After Zack Cozart singled, Devin Mesoraco mashed his second homer in two games to hike Cincinnati's lead to 4-1.

Cincinnati chased Surkamp during its three-run third inning, which began with Joey Votto's home run. One out later, five consecutive Reds reached base safely, including pitcher Tony Cingrani, who poked an opposite-field RBI single to left that finished Surkamp.

In five games this season, the Reds have outscored the Giants 34-6 and are 5-0 against the reigning World Series champions.

Cingrani (4-1) yielded two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Scutaro and Hunter Pence collected two hits apiece for the Giants, who relied on sacrifice flies by Pablo Sandoval in the first inning and Guillermo Quiroz in the fourth to score their runs.