MLB: San Francisco 8, Cincinnati 3

Posted on Oct 11, 2012 in Sports | 0 comments

Pablo Sandoval went 3-for-4 with three RBI Wednesday, powering San Francisco to a National League Division Series-evening 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.

Sandoval’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning extended the Giants’ lead to 5-2 and he capped the scoring with a mammoth, two-run homer in the seventh as San Francisco forced a fifth and deciding game in the NLDS.

Angel Pagan also went deep and added a run-scoring double, while Gregor Blanco clubbed a two-run shot as the Giants banged out 11 hits in the victory.

Tim Lincecum (1-0) hurled 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball after coming in as a reliever to earn the win for the NL West champions, who took a second straight in Cincinnati after dropping the series’ first two contests at home.

Mike Leake (0-1) — who started in place of injured Reds ace Johnny Cueto — was roughed up for five runs on six hits in a 4 1/3-inning effort.

Ryan Ludwick socked a solo homer for Cincinnati, which was backed into a winner-take-all contest Thursday at Great American Ball Park.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International