SAN FRANCISCO -- Edgardo Alfonzo homered and drove in four runs, and Kirk Rueter extended his dominance of the Cincinnati Reds by pitching the San Francisco Giants to a 6-1 victory Sunday.
Rueter gave up one run and four hits in six innings, improving to 10-1 lifetime against Cincinnati. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter as the Giants kept up their best start in 30 years despite winning for just the third time in eight games.
Rich Aurilia matched a career high with four hits for San Francisco.
Jose Guillen drove in the lone run for the Reds, who failed to win a fourth straight series for the first time in two years. Cincinnati lost for only the third time in 11 games.
Ryan Dempster (1-2), starting for the first time on three days' rest, allowed five runs on five hits and five walks in 5 1-3 innings. He lasted just 1 1-3 innings in his last start on Wednesday in Colorado.
Rueter (3-1) has allowed five runs in his last 25 1-3 innings (1.78 ERA) - covering four starts - against the Reds. His .909 winning percentage against them is his best against any NL opponent.
Felix Rodriguez pitched two scoreless innings and Tim Worrell worked the ninth to finish the six-hitter.
Alfonzo batted third in place of Barry Bonds, who had the day off, and responded with a Bonds-like performance. Alfonzo's three-run homer in the fifth put the Giants ahead 4-0. He added an RBI single in the seventh and finished 8-for-25 (.320) on the homestand.
Aurilia singled home a run in the first to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
Rueter retired 15 of 18 hitters through the fifth inning. Felipe Lopez led off the sixth with a triple to the right-center gap. Guillen followed with a sacrifice fly, his fifth RBI in three games.
The Giants also scored in the sixth when pinch-hitter Neifi Perez hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded against Gabe White.
Notes: Bonds was given a day off after playing two games within 21 hours over the weekend. "He's been dragging a little bit," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. ... Reds OF Adam Dunn was given the day off with a left-hander starting. ... Rueter's only loss to the Reds came on April 25, 2001, in San Francisco. ... Reds RHP Jimmy Haynes will throw on the side Monday in St. Louis, followed by a possible rehabilitation assignment . ... Cincinnati SS Barry Larkin is expected to be activated some time this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday. ... Giants RHP Ryan Jensen began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Fresno. ... SS Lopez committed a throwing error in the first inning, giving the Reds a major league-leading 37 errors.
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