The San Francisco Giants received much more than they could have expected from an emergency starting pitcher who'd thrown 20 pitches as a reliever in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers only two nights before.
What Casey Kelly's first major league start in nearly 2 1/2 seasons didn't gain them was a victory, as Phillip Ervin's homer in the 11th inning Friday gave the Cincinnati Reds a 2-1 victory against the Giants at Great American Ball Park.
This is exactly what the Giants didn't need as they dig into the most crucial part of their schedule.