Eugenio Suarez's grand slam highlights 7-run 9th inning as the Reds rally past Giants 10-9
Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam as part of Cincinnati’s seven-run ninth inning as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit and beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9
SAN FRANCISCO -- Eugenio Suarez hit a grand slam as part of Cincinnati’s seven-run ninth inning as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit and beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9 on Wednesday.
The Reds have a record of 3-1,917 when trailing by six or more runs in the ninth inning. Besides Wednesday's comeback, Cincinnati rallied from six-or-more runs down in May 1958 against the Chicago Cubs and May 1918 against St. Louis, according to the Elias Sport Bureau.
The six-run lead was the largest ever squandered in the ninth inning by the Giants since at least 1901, according to Sportradar. The Giants twice had blown five-run leads in the ninth, against the Athletics on Aug. 14, 2020, and versus the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 25, 1929.
Cincinnati's comeback prevented the Giants from completing their first three-game sweep of the season. San Francisco is the only MLB team that has not swept a three-game set this season.
Facing a 9-3 deficit at the start of the ninth, rookie Hector Rodriguez opened the inning by hitting his second homer of the game. After a single by Elly De La Cruz and two walks, Dylan Smith replaced reliever Spencer Bivens.
Suarez hit the slam off Smith (0-5). Suarez’s 19th home run of the season cut the Giants’ lead to 9-8. Dane Myers and Matt McLain reached on bunt singles before Jose Trevino’s sacrifice fly plated the tying run. Pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson put the Reds in front with a single that scored McLain.
The Giants got three two-run homers in the game. Jonah Cox went deep in the second inning, Rafael Devers hit his 29th in the fifth, and Shay Whitcomb hit his third in the sixth. Devers homered all three games of the series.
Pinch-hitter Drew Gilbert hit a three-run double to right-center with two outs in the eighth to extend San Francisco's lead to 9-3.
Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. He leads the majors with 100 RBIs and tied Jim Greengrass (1953) for the Reds’ franchise record for RBIs by a rookie.
Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (5-8, 5.13 ERA) will face Cubs LHP David Peterson (7-7, 5.17) at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon.
Giants RHP Landen Roupp (7-13, 4.34) will face visiting Arizona on Thursday night. The Diamondbacks have not named a starter.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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