SAN FRANCISCO _ The Giants took a small step toward respectability Saturday with a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at AT&T Park.
Matt Moore (2-4) pitched 71/3 innings for the win, with Brandon Belt and Justin Ruggiano supplying solo home runs and Kelby Tomlinson an RBI on an infield hit.
The win improved the Giants to 14-24 and puts them in position for a series win Sunday against a Reds team that beat them less than a week ago in three non-competitive games. It came after a 17-inning win which ended on a Buster Posey home run at around 12:45 a.m. and with a bullpen in need of some rest.
Hunter Strickland replaced Moore after a one-out double by Scott Schebler in the eighth, and got the final two outs of the inning. Derek Law pitched the ninth for his third save.
Coming in, the Giants had not won consecutive games since April 9 and 10 against San Diego and Arizona, and hadn't beaten the same team twice in a row all season.
The Giants got a third run in the seventh inning against starter and losing pitcher Lisalverto Bonilla (0-1) with the help of what was scored an infield hit by Tomlinson, bringing in pinch runner Gorkys Hernandez from third base.
Michael Morse opened the inning with a single, with Hernandez going in to pinch run. He stole second with Brandon Crawford at the plate, went to third on a ground ball and scored when shortstop Jose Peraza couldn't come up with a do-or-die grounder and make the throw to first.
Moore was unscored on through five innings until Scott Schebler, the Reds' left-handed hitting center fielder, hit a 1-0 pitch into the seats in center for Cincinnati's first run.
Ruggiano, a veteran who arrived May 6 after his contract was purchased from AAA Sacramento, had two singles in the 17-inning win over Cincinnati but went long distance for the first time as a Giant in the third inning for a 2-0 lead.
Moore gave up eight hits in 71/3 innings and walked three, but continually worked out of trouble and struck out seven. Through three games, Giants starters Ty Blach, Johnny Cueto and Moore have given up five runs in 221/3 innings against a lineup that was hot coming in.
