SAN FRANCISCO — Bronson Arroyo pitched the Reds back to Ohio on quite a playoff roll.

Arroyo retired his first 14 batters and delivered a gem a day after 19-game winner Johnny Cueto went down with a back injury, and Cincinnati beat the San Francisco Giants 9-0 on Sunday night to head home with a 2-0 NL division series lead.

Ryan Ludwick homered leading off the second inning for his first career playoff clout and Ryan Hanigan hit a two-run single in the fourth and a later RBI single. Jay Bruce hit a two-run double and Joey Votto had three hits.

"Coming on the road, you think about getting one as a success and victory," Bruce said. "To be able come here and get two is very important."

The Giants were handed their worst playoff shutout in franchise history.

"You hate to get beat like that, especially at home," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It happened. We know where we're at right now. We know our backs are to the wall."

Nationals slip past

Cardinals in opener

ST. LOUIS — Rookies in the postseason, the Washington Nationals played like poised veterans.

The Nationals escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Tyler Moore blooped a two-out, two-run single in the eighth and Washington beat the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in an NL playoff opener.

They have just four players with postseason experience on the roster. But they have the lead.

"Not many people have probably watched too many Nationals games, but we have a great starting rotation and a great bullpen," said Ian Desmond, who singled for his third hit in the go-ahead rally. "They keep us in the ballgame and some timely hits from this kid, and the rest of the guys coming off the bench, that's really been the formula."

The Nationals, who had never come close to making the playoffs since moving from Montreal for the 2005 season, overcame a wild start by 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez. They limited the Cardinals to just three hits.

"All the credit in the world goes to the bullpen," Gonzalez said. "I've been saying it all year. The reason why we've been so successful is these guys come in and shut it down."

Note

• Colorado manager Jim Tracy has resigned after the Rockies set a franchise record for losses (64-98). Colorado was 294-308 under Tracy, who took over in May 2009.