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CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jeff Kent's drive headed right for the outfield wall. Ken Griffey Jr. made sure it never got there.

Griffey made a saving catch on Kent's bases-loaded drive in the eighth inning, helping the Cincinnati Reds hold on for an 11-9 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Aaron Boone's bases-loaded double highlighted a six-run fifth inning, and Griffey's catch made the lead stand up just when it appeared the Giants would snatch it away.

"Just bad luck, a bad night," said Kent, who was 4-for-4 when Griffey robbed him of an extra-base hit in the eighth.

The Giants failed to hold two early leads and wound up losing for only the second time in 13 games, leaving them two games behind Los Angeles in the NL West. They fell to third, a half-game behind Arizona.

A day after they gave up a six-run 11th inning that featured three Giants homers, the Reds had a six-run rally of their own without clearing the wall. They piled up three singles, two doubles, a triple and two walks off fading Jason Schmidt (7-7) and two relievers.

Griffey then blunted a San Francisco comeback with the defensive play of the game.

With the Reds protecting a two-run lead, the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Griffey sprinted to right-center on his torn hamstring, jumped to catch Kent's drive, then slammed into the green padding and tumbled backward.

"That's why he's a superstar," manager Dusty Baker said. "If he's not hitting, then he's taking them away from you. That was big. We would have taken the lead there, and who knows what would have happened after that."

Danny Graves, who gave up three homers in Tuesday night's game, relieved with two runners aboard and let in two runs in the ninth before finishing for his 20th save in 25 chances.

"They tried again tonight," Graves said. "They keep making comebacks."

They were trying to pull one off after Schmidt wilted on an 89-degree night.

Schmidt, who was sensational in his Giants debut last Wednesday, was recovering from an illness that forced him to miss his start a day earlier. He took a 5-2 lead into the fifth, then failed to retire any of the four batters he faced.

Schmidt said he felt fine, but he didn't know how much the heat affected him.

"I don't know if I was as strong as usual," Schmidt said. "Regardless of whether it did or not, I've got to throw strikes."

In addition to his saving catch, Griffey had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring single in the sixth that made it 9-5 and extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Barry Bonds, who hit his 48th homer Tuesday, walked twice and struck out looking three times. After the second strikeout, the San Francisco star briefly argued with home plate umpire Jerry Meals.

Kent had three singles and a double for the Giants, who knocked Elmer Dessens out in the fifth inning. J.T. Snow's two-run double off Hector Mercado (3-2) made it 5-2.

Kent's fielding error -- he failed to make a barehanded catch-and-throw while trying to turn a double play -- set up two runs in the fourth. Schmidt lost his control and the lead an inning later.

Schmidt, who came to the Giants along with John Vander Wal in a July 30 trade with Pittsburgh, beat the Pirates by allowing only one hit in seven innings last Wednesday. He wasn't nearly as sharp this time.

D.T. Cromer's pinch single drove in a run in the fifth, and Schmidt walked Adam Dunn on four pitches to load the bases with none out. After Griffey's sacrifice fly off Aaron Fultz and a walk to Sean Casey reloaded the bases, Boone pulled a double just inside third base off Wayne Gomes for 6-5 lead. Dmitri Young's triple and Jason LaRue's single completed the rally.

Dunn added a two-run homer in the eighth.

Game notes
Vander Wal had four singles in five at-bats. He's 10-for-15 with two homers in his career against Dessens. ... The six-run fifth matched the Reds' biggest inning of the season. ... The Reds will call up RHP Scott Winchester to start Thursday's game. They designated Osvaldo Fernandez for assignment after the game. ... RHP Pete Harnisch will have exploratory elbow surgery Thursday in Cincinnati. He's been disabled since May. ... The Reds hired Mike Easler as a roving minor league hitting instructor. ... Reds SS Pokey Reese, who left Tuesday's game after the first inning because he felt sick, was out of the lineup.