Giants beat Reds in 10th, cut NLDS deficit to 2-1

CINCINNATI - Joaquin Arias hit a grounder toward third base and took off toward first, covering those 90 feet in a blink as a full-to-capacity ballpark went silent with angst.

Which would get there first, the infielder or the ball? Who would win the decisive playoff dash?

"That's the fastest I've ever run to first," Arias said.

Fast enough to extend the San Francisco Giants' season one more day.

Reds third baseman Scott Rolen bobbled the short-hop, giving Arias enough time to beat the throw as the go-ahead run scored for a 2-1 victory Tuesday night that avoided a National League division series sweep.

Hardly able to get a hit the past two games, the Giants turned a passed ball and a misplayed grounder into a win that cut their series deficit to 2-1 and extended Cincinnati's 17 years of home postseason futility.

"These are the type of games we've played all season long," said Sergio Romo, who pitched the last two innings for the win. "We are a gritty and grinding team."

And, with their season on the line, a little lucky, too. "We got a break there at the end," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Left-hander Barry Zito will pitch Game 4 today for the Giants, who have won the past 11 times he started. The Reds have to decide whether to try ace Johnny Cueto, forced out of the opener in San Francisco on Saturday with spasms in his back and side.

Manager Dusty Baker said after the game that they hadn't decided whether to let Cueto try it, bring back Mat Latos on short rest again or replace Cueto with Mike Leake, who wasn't on the division series roster. Switching out Cueto would leave the Reds ace ineligible to pitch in the championship series.

"It's very difficult, but it all depends on if your ace can't go or whatever it is," Baker said. "That's part of the conversation - us going without him. We realize what's at stake."

They were hoping to avoid having to make that choice. One grounder forced the issue.

The Giants managed only three hits against Homer Bailey and the Reds bullpen but got two of them in the 10th - along with a passed ball by Ryan Hanigan - to pull it out. San Francisco won despite striking out 16 times.

Rolen, an eight-time Gold Glove winner, couldn't cleanly come up with Arias' grounder, putting him in a tough position.

"I've gone through the play many times in my mind between then and now, and I think I would play it the same way," Rolen said. "It hit my glove. I just couldn't get it to stick."

The Reds haven't won a home playoff game since 1995, the last time they reached the NL Championship Series. One win away from making it back there, they couldn't beat a Giants team that barely has been able to get a hit.

San Francisco got only two hits while losing 9-0 on Sunday night, setting up that 2-0 deficit in the series. The Giants had only one single in seven innings off Bailey, making his first start at Great American Ball Park since his Sept. 28 no-hitter in Pittsburgh.

Fortunately for the Giants, Bailey's one lapse led to a run. He hit a batter, walked another and gave up a sacrifice fly by Angel Pagan in the third inning.

That was it until the 10th. Closer Aroldis Chapman got a pair of strikeouts on 100 mph fastballs during a perfect ninth inning, keeping it tied at 1.

San Francisco's one-hit wonders finally got it going against Jonathan Broxton, who gave up leadoff singles by Buster Posey - the NL batting champion - and Hunter Pence, who pulled his left calf on a wild swing before getting his hit.

With two outs, Hanigan couldn't come up with a pitch, letting the runners advance. Moments later, Cincinnati's chance for a sweep was over.

Cincinnati scored in the first inning. Brandon Phillips led off with a single, but was thrown out at third when he tried to advance on a ball that got away from Posey. It was costly - the Reds went on to score on a walk and a pair of singles, including Jay Bruce's RBI hit to right.

Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong gave up the one run on three hits and three walks and struck out five in five innings.