Giants Beat Reds, Lose No-Hitter

Saturday, May 4th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Ryan Jensen made the most of an emergency situation, helping the San Francisco Giants take a combined no-hitter into the eighth inning before beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Saturday.

Barry Bonds homered for the 400th time in a San Francisco uniform as the Giants won their third straight.

Jensen (2-2) took over from Schmidt with two outs in the first inning and carried a no-hitter into the eighth. Jason LaRue broke up the bid with a solid single into left field.

Jensen was moved to the bullpen following his loss to the Reds on April 27 only because a fifth starter wasn't needed until May 11. The last time he made a relief appearance was last Sept. 19, when he allowed two runs in two innings.

Bonds established yet another major league standard when he hit his home run. He became the first player ever to hit 400 for one team and 100 for another. Bonds hit 176 home runs with the Pittsburgh Pirates before signing with the Giants as a free agent following the 1992 season.

Bonds hit the first pitch he saw from Jimmy Haynes (2-4) into the first row of the right-field bleachers in the first inning. He now has 576 for his career, seven behind Mark McGwire for fifth all-time.

Bonds, who went 33 at bats between his eighth home run on April 17 and his ninth, walked in his next three plate appearances, giving him a major league-leading 38 and putting him on a pace for 212, which would shatter the mark he set last year at 177.

Felix Rodriguez pitched the eighth and Robb Nen recorded his ninth save in 10 opportunities with a scoreless ninth.

Snow and Bonds each made nice defensive plays to preserve the no-hitter. Bonds made a running catch to rob Todd Walker in the sixth. Snow backhanded a sharp grounder down the first base line and threw from his knees to Jensen covering at first, getting Haynes to end the fifth.

Schmidt left the game after facing four batters in the first inning because of tightness in his right shoulder.

He walked two of the first three batters he faced, then came out of the game as a precautionary measure after Adam Dunn flied out to right field.

Jensen took over from there, retiring 19 of 20 batters before LaRue's hit.

After LaRue singled, Jensen was taken out of the game and received a standing ovation from the 40,959 fans.

The Giants added an unearned run in the sixth. Bonds walked and Jeff Kent's fly ball was misplayed by Juan Encarnacion, putting runners on second and third. Snow was walked intentionally and Reggie Sanders followed with an infield hit.

Scott Sullivan took over for Haynes and got the final three outs to avoid further trouble.

The Giants added a run in the seventh when Marvin Benard scored on Kent's infield grounder.