SEEING RED
Giants pitcher Wood victimized by his dear friend, Cincinnati's Farmer
CINCINNATI >> Alex Wood didn't necessarily have this game circled on his calendar, but there was reason for him to look forward to his start Saturday at Great American Ballpark. And it wasn't the less-than-memorable single season he spent here.
No, the personal significance for the Giants' No. 3 starter was realized when the Reds' No. 5 hitter stepped to the plate in the first inning. That man is Kyle Farmer, Wood's roommate at the University of Georgia. The best man in his wedding. Someone who shares a tattoo in common, honoring their former teammate who was paralyzed.
Wood and Farmer have taken such parallel paths — even traded to the Reds together from the Dodgers in December, 2018 — that the plate appearance in the first inning of Saturday's 3-2 loss was the first time the best friends had faced each other in 16 combined major league seasons.
On a day Wood allowed only four hits over 5 2/3 innings, Farmer came up with the big one. Two Reds had reached when Farmer stepped in for his first-ever at-bat against Wood in the first inning. With one swing, Farmer earned eternal bragging rights and put the Giants into a 3-0 hole they couldn't climb out of, launching a 1-2 sinker over the 379-foot sign in left field.
The three runs were enough to lock in a series loss against a Reds team that took MLB's worst record into this three-game set. Wilmer Flores nearly knocked in the tying run with two outs in the ninth, but Joey Bart was thrown out at home plate to end the game.
Manager Gabe Kapler backed up third base coach Mark Hallberg's decision to send Bart with two outs and Brandon Crawford coming to the plate, despite the rocket