Eight-Run Fifth Caps Giants' Victory

Charlie Hayes made the most of his rare starting assignment, sending the Giants to their most lopsided win of the year.

"Charlie knows how to drive in those runs," said Giants manager Dusty Baker after Hayes tied a career high with five RBIs four during the Giants' eight-run fifth inning to rout the Cincinnati Reds 16-3 Monday night.

"He's our backup first baseman, third baseman... but his head's always in the game," Baker said. "Any time you stay in the game like that, you're not going to be flat when your name is called."

Jeff Kent also tied a career high with five RBIs for the defending NL West champion Giants, who reached a season-high 10 games over .500.

"I really believe this team has a drive to further what we accomplished last year," Kent said.

It took a utilityman to finally set the Giants down.

Lenny Harris, a 10-year backup player, pitched a perfect eighth and struck out Brent Mayne with an 85-mph slider.

"I've been waiting nine years for this," Harris said. "I went out there with my game face on. I didn't want to smile, but I was smiling inside. I was just hoping they wouldn't hit the ball right at me because I wasn't ready."

Reds manager Jack McKeon said he hopes he won't call on Harris again any time soon. He was the first position player to pitch for Cincinnati since June 3, 1988, when shortstop Dave Concepcion threw 1 1-3 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I didn't want to go any more deeper into the bullpen," McKeon said. "It didn't matter who we threw out there."

Barry Bonds scored four runs for the Giants, and Mark Gardner (4-2) survived a shaky start to get the victory. He allowed three runs and six hits over seven innings, with three walks and six strikeouts.

Kent went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly, three-run homer and bases-loaded walk. Hayes was 3-for-5 with an RBI single, a two-run double and a two-run single.

Reggie Sanders homered and Dmitri Young had an RBI single in the first to put the Reds up 2-0.

The lead didn't last long. San Francisco knocked out Reds starter Eddie Priest (0-1) after just five batters, taking a 3-2 lead on Kent's sacrifice fly, Hayes' RBI single and a run-scoring throwing error by catcher Eddie Taubensee.

In two major league starts, both against the Giants, Priest is 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA.

Kent's three-run homer in the third off Scott Sullivan put the Giants up 6-2. After Bret Boone's RBI double in the fourth cut the lead to 6-3, the Giants put the game away in the fifth against David Weathers.

Hayes had four RBIs in the inning, driving in the first two with a double and later hitting a two-run single. Rich Aurilia had two RBIs, while Brian Johnson and Kent each drove in a run ithe inning.

Weathers lasted two-thirds of an inning, giving up eight runs on six hits. His ERA rose from 5.40 to 6.59.

Darryl Hamilton's RBI single in the sixth and Chris Jones' homer off Gabe White in the seventh gave the Giants their final two runs.

Notes: Sanders is 10-for-20 with three homers in his career against Mark Gardner. ... San Francisco's J.T. Snow walked four times against three different pitchers. ... Gardner has allowed 15 runs in the first inning of 11 starts this season (11.25 ERA). He has allowed 15 homers, second most in the NL to Arizona's Brian Anderson (16). ... The Reds have committed at least two errors in four of their last five games. ... The Giants scored their most runs since a 17-4 win over San Diego last Sept. 26.

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