MLB· Season 2026
The Cincinnati Reds scored seven runs in the ninth inning — capped by Eugenio Suárez's grand slam — to stun the San Francisco Giants 10-9 at Oracle Park.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The game began as a tight pitchers' duel between Giants right-hander Logan Webb and Reds lefty Nick Lodolo, but quickly escalated into a slugfest.
2nd inning: Cincinnati struck first when José Trevino singled to right to score Dane Myers. The Giants answered immediately in the bottom half — Shay Whitcomb doubled and Jonah Cox crushed a two-run homer to centre, giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead.
3rd inning: Héctor Rodríguez tied it 2-2 with a solo home run to centre off Webb.
5th inning: Cox walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, and Rafael Devers deposited a 413-ft, two-run homer into McCovey Cove to restore the Giants' lead at 4-2. It was Devers' 29th homer of the season.
6th inning: Whitcomb added his first home run as a Giant — a two-run shot to left that scored Christian Koss — pushing the lead to 6-2.
7th inning: The Reds nibbled back. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled, advanced on a Rodríguez single and an Elly De La Cruz single, and Sal Stewart brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Cincinnati trailed 6-3.
8th inning: The Giants appeared to put the game away. Drew Gilbert, pinch-hitting for Cox, cleared the bases with a three-run double to deep right, scoring Grant McCray, Andrew Knizner and Turner Hill. San Francisco led 9-3.
9th inning — the comeback: Rodríguez led off with his second homer of the game, a solo shot to right off Spencer Bivens. De La Cruz singled, Stewart walked on a full count, and J.J. Bleday walked to load the bases. That brought Dylan Smith into the game.
Smith's first pitch to Suárez ended up in the left-centre bleachers — a grand slam that cut the deficit to 9-8. It was Suárez's 19th homer of the season and delivered four RBIs.
Myers reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Giants third baseman Buddy Kennedy. Matt McLain bunted for a single. Trevino then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Myers to tie the game 9-9. McLain stole second and Tyler Stephenson, pinch-hitting for Hayes, singled to left to bring McLain home with the go-ahead run.
Emilio Pagán retired the Giants in order in the bottom of the ninth for his 16th save — though he needed just two outs before Christian Koss struck out swinging to end it.
The Turning Point
The game flipped on a single pitch: Dylan Smith's 0-1 offering to Eugenio Suárez with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth. Suárez's grand slam transformed a 9-4 deficit into a one-run game, and the Reds never looked back. Smith was charged with his third blown save of the season.
Key Performers
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Eugenio Suárez (CIN) — 2-for-5, grand slam (19), 4 RBIs. Delivered the decisive blow with his 19th homer of the season, a 413-ft shot to left-centre.
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Héctor Rodríguez (CIN) — 3-for-6, 2 HR (3), 2 RBIs, 2 runs. Brought the Reds to life with a solo homer in the third and started the ninth-inning rally with his second.
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Rafael Devers (SF) — 2-for-4, HR (29), 2 RBIs, BB. His fifth-inning splash hit into McCovey Cove briefly gave the Giants control.
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Logan Webb (SF) — 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 97 pitches. A quality start spoiled by the bullpen collapse.
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Emilio Pagán (CIN) — 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Improved to 5-1 with the win in relief.
Player of the Match: Eugenio Suárez (Cincinnati Reds)
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The box score tells a tale of two bullpens. Reds relievers combined for 4.2 innings, allowing five runs — but crucially, Tony Santillan (1 IP, 3 ER) and Brock Burke (1 IP, 0 ER) held the line before the offence erupted. Giants relievers, by contrast, surrendered eight earned runs over three innings. Jason Foley, Spencer Bivens and Smith were charged with 10 hits and seven earned runs between them.
Cincinnati out-hit San Francisco 15-12. The Reds slugged three home runs (Rodríguez 2, Suárez) to the Giants' three (Cox, Devers, Whitcomb). Both teams committed two errors, but only the Giants' — a Buddy Kennedy throwing error in the ninth — proved costly, allowing Myers to reach second and eventually score.
What It Means
The Reds improved to 63-71, snapping a four-game losing streak. The Giants dropped to 54-79 after losing their chance at a three-game series sweep — they had won the first two games of the set 5-0 and 3-1.
The blown save was the Giants' 19th of the season, tied for the most in MLB entering the day. Smith, who entered with a 3.45 ERA, saw that spike after recording just one out while allowing three earned runs.
Cincinnati continue their road trip next against the Milwaukee Brewers on 28 August. The Giants head to St. Louis to face the Cardinals on the same date.
Verdict
Baseball is a game that punishes premature celebration. The Giants looked in total control with a six-run lead and nine outs to get, but their bullpen could not protect it. The Reds' seven-run ninth inning ranks among the most dramatic rallies of the 2026 season — a reminder that at Oracle Park, no lead is truly safe.
Rivalry since 2019
San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Head to Head Results· 50
San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds have met 50 times — San Francisco Giants won 27, Cincinnati Reds won 23, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2019. San Francisco Giants leads the head-to-head with 27 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 415 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 8.30 per match (218 for the home side, 197 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 42 matches (84%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 47 games (94%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 11–19 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Aug 2026