There was discussion in Cincinnati about Reds fans booing early during Wednesday’s 8-3 loss to the Giants in Game 4 when the game was still close. Starter Mike Leake and center fielder Drew Stubbs drew the brunt of the fans’ criticism.

There were few boos on Thursday as the Reds completed their collapse with a 6-4 loss in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Even after the Reds fell behind 6-0, the crowd of 44,142 rallied behind their team.

“The crowd was fantastic,” Votto said. “I’m very impressed with how supportive they were. I’m really proud of being a Cincinnati Red. We have an excellent fan base. We just need to give them some wins, play deep into the playoffs, win a World Series, and the support will increase ten-fold, I’m sure.”

The fans grew especially vocal in the ninth when the Reds tried to rally one last time, putting the tying runs on base.

“That’s the loudest I’ve heard them,” shortstop Zack Cozart said. “That was pretty cool. We play for ourselves and the team, but we play for the fans, too. It feels good when they’ve got our back.”

No advantage: Despite the fan support, the home team lost every game in the series. Through Wednesday’s playoff games, home teams were 7-9 in the division series.

“There is no explanation,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “A lot of it has to do with who is pitching. Most of it is who is in charge of the game, and the guy in charge of the game is the guy that’s holding the ball all the time.”

For sure, there’s no clear-cut favorite among the teams still contending for the world championship.

“There are no dominant teams,” Baker said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day, and I think that makes for good baseball because I don’t think baseball likes a bunch of sweeps.”

Defensive gems: The Giants made two run-saving catches in the eighth. Brandon Crawford made a diving stop at shortstop for the second out. With two runners on, Angel Pagan made a diving catch in center for the third out.

Brandon Phillips saved a run for the Reds with a diving stop in the eighth.

Game time: Many of the Reds didn’t know the game time until they woke up Thursday morning. The time hinged on the Tigers-A’s game late Wednesday night, and when the Tigers lost, the game remained at 1:07 p.m.

“I tried to stay up and watch the Oakland game, but I couldn’t,” Baker said. “I had to go to sleep.”

The comeback: The Giants won’t find out until tonight whether they play the Cardinals or Nationals in the next round. The series is tied 2-2. For a few days, the Giants can relish their accomplishment.

“To come in here and do what they did is quite a task,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s going against all odds, and they found a way to get it done.”