SAN FRANCISCO — The day started with anger. It ended with agony.
Tony Vitello didn’t get through the first inning before being told to scram, thrown out by home plate umpire Ryan Blakney for arguing a check-swing call. Already ejected, Vitello exploded. F-bombs flew left and right. On the verge of their first three-game sweep of the year, Vitello’s expedited return to the clubhouse was a bad omen for the Giants.
Yet from the confines of his office, Vitello saw his team come three outs away from finally breaking out the brooms. He saw Logan Webb’s six innings of two-run ball. He saw Rafael Devers’ third home run in the last three games, the 111th Splash Hit in Oracle Park history. He saw Jonah Cox and Shay Whitcomb’s two-run homers and Drew Gilbert’s pinch-hit, three-run double, the latter of which looked like it’d be the dagger.
Then, he saw the collapse, his bullpen blowing a six-run ninth-inning lead and allowing seven runs in the inning. The meltdown was of historic proportion, the first time in franchise history they’ve lost when leading by six in the ninth inning. San Francisco has found many odd, obscure and torturous ways to lose this season. This loss, a 10-9 defeat on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park, was in a category of its own.
“I don’t really have a word for it,” Vitello said. “It’s more than unfortunate.”
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Spencer Bivens #76 throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The Giants entered the ninth inning with a comfortable 9-3 lead, needing just three outs to complete the sweep. Spencer Bivens, who pitched a scoreless eighth, was sent out for the ninth. He didn’t record a single out.
Cincinnati’s Héctor Rodríguez, who already homered in the third, hit a blast into McCovey Cove, trimming San Francisco’s lead to 9-4. Elly De La Cruz followed with a single, and Bivens walked the next two batters to load the bases. Bench coach Jayce Tingler, acting as the manager following Vitello’s ejection, called on Dylan Smith. Still, the fire raged.
Eugenio Suárez, the first hitter Smith faced, hit a grand slam to make it 9-8. The Reds’ Dane Myers reached on a bunt single, then took second on a throwing error by third baseman Buddy Kennedy. Matt McLain beat out his own bunt single. Jose Trevino provided the equalizer with a sacrifice fly, then Tyler Stephenson completed the meltdown with an RBI single.
The six-run lead was gone. A one-run deficit remained.
Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez #28 is congratulated by teammate Sal Stewart #27 after hitting a grand slam home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Dylan Smith #66 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
“Smitty’s carried a pretty big load for us, and he’s pretty gassed,” Vitello said of his closer. “That was my consensus from that ending. I’m sure there’s a lot of other stuff to break down, but that’s my only thought.”
The Giants got the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth when Turner Hill snuck a single into right field with one out, but he wouldn’t advance past first. Emilio Pagán shut the door, and boos filled Oracle Park as the Reds celebrated their unbelievable victory.
“I understand their disappointment,” Vitello said. “If they were in the locker room, I’d try to give you a rally speech or something like that. You can only say so much. Words aren’t going to carry a whole lot of weight in a situation like this. Play on the field will dictate what’s going on behind the scenes: adjustments, work, attitude, how important it is to you, all those things.”
Vitello’s words carried enough weight in the top of the first to get him his fourth career ejection. When Blakney sent him packing, Vitello leaped out of the dugout and yelled, “My guy’s competing his [expletive] [expletive] off,” in reference to Webb.
“It’s a [expletive] strike, he [expletive] deserves it,” Vitello said. “Get it [expletive] right.”
“I thought the guy swung,” Vitello explained postgame. “It’s part of my role to say if that’s what I thought, and then you can get into escalation versus de-escalation. It’s up to you guys. I don’t know what the rules are there. I didn’t throw two baseballs at anybody, I can tell you that.”
Cincinnati Reds’ Matt McLain #9 scores the game-winning run on an RBI single by Tyler Stephenson #37 in the ninth inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Webb, who didn’t think Suárez swung, appreciated his manager for having his back and ensured the ejection wasn’t in vain. After his shortest outing of the season last Friday, Webb turned in six strong innings with six strikeouts.
Landen Roupp was originally slated to pitch on Wednesday with Webb going on Thursday, but in the morning the team flipped the order. Of the decision, Webb said he “knew from the get-go” and that it was partially his idea.
Webb referenced Roupp’s workload and the benefit of an extra day, but it’s possible there was another motive. With the bullpen being taxed on Monday and Tuesday following injuries to Carson Whisenhunt and Adrian Houser, Webb was the better bet to eat more innings. Still, by day’s end, the Giants deployed five relievers and needed three (Bivens, Smith, Reiver Sanmartin) to complete the ninth.
Before the ninth, the Giants nearly blew a smaller four-run lead in the top of the seventh. Reliever Jason Foley allowed the Reds to load the bases on three singles, prompting Tingler to summon Ryan Walker. Walker limited the damage to one run via a sacrifice fly, an effort that got lost on a day like Wednesday.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb #62 throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Webb acknowledged that “weird” games like this one are bound to happen over the course of a season. The Giants’ best win of the season, after all, saw them erase an eight-run deficit to stun the Washington Nationals. As far as where to go from here, Webb and Vitello had the same message, independent of one another: come back tomorrow and try to win.
“Things happen. Baseball, it’s weird,” Webb said. “Even if it’s like the one we had earlier in the season where Bryce (Eldridge) hit the homer and we came back and scored a bunch of runs, you still got to show up the next day and try to win a baseball game. It doesn’t matter each way. You just got to show up tomorrow ready to go.”
“I give it like 24 hours. After that, you flush it,” Smith said. “You come to the field. It’s a new game, a new day for a new opportunity to win.”
San Francisco Giants’ Jonah Cox #53 hits a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jonah Cox #53 is congratulated by teammate Shay Whitcomb #13 after hitting a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 throws against th eSan Francisco Giants in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The American flag is flown at half-staff in honor of singer Dolly Parton during the San Francisco Giants MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Parton died yesterday at the age of 80. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Héctor Rodríguez #43 rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Logan Webb #62 in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers #16 is congratulated by third base coach Gary Pettis #81 after hitting a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 is taken out of by manager Terry Francona n the fifth inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Shay Whitcomb #13 rounds the bases after hitting a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Julian Garcia #57 in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Shay Whitcomb #13 hits a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Julian Garcia #57 in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Christian Koss #50 scores on a home run by teammate Shay Whitcomb #13 in the sixth inning of their MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jason Foley #64 throes against the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Andrew Knizner #19 is hit by a pitch thrown by Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan #64 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Shay Whitcomb #13 celebrates with teammate Christian Koss #50 after hitting a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Julian Garcia #57 in the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Drew Gilbert #0 hits a three-run RBI double off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan #64 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Grant McCray #58 and Turner Hill #52 celebrate after scoring on a three-run RBI double by teammate Drew Gilbert #0 in the eighth inning of their MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Christian Koss #50 hits a sacrifice bunt off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan #64 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez #28 hits a grand slam home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Dylan Smith #66 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez, #28 right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Dylan Smith #66 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Jose Trevino #35 hits a sacrifice fly off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Dylan Smith #66 to tie the game in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Dane Myers #17 celebrates with teammate Tyler Stephenson #37 after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jose Trevino #35 to tie the score in the ninth inning of their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Tyler Stephenson #37 hits the game-winning RBI single off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Dylan Smith #66 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Cincinnati Reds’ Elly de la Cruz #44 and teammates leave the field after their 10-9 MLB win against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
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San Francisco Giants’ Jonah Cox #53 hits a two-run RBI home run off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)