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What Giants Erik Miller said about heated exchange with Sal Stewart
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The San Francisco Giants shut out the Cincinnati Reds, 3-0, at Great American Ball Park on Thursday to avoid a series sweep, with left-handed reliever Erik Miller earning his first career save. Miller ended the game by striking out Cincinnati first baseman Sal Stewart with a 97.7 mph fastball, completing the final out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
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Immediately after the strikeout, Miller reacted loudly on the mound and gestured toward Stewart, directing him back to the dugout. Stewart, who had already done damage earlier in the series, turned and responded to Miller, setting off a quick confrontation. Players from both dugouts and bullpens moved onto the field, leading to a benches-clearing situation after the final out.
Following the game, Miller explained his reaction , saying:
"I was just fired up," said Miller. "I probably let the emotions get the best of me. I'm not trying to direct anything specifically to him. I have no problem with him. I just said a sentence that most hitters probably don't like to hear, so I can understand why he was upset. It was just more like I was just really fired up. It wasn't anything personal. He happened to be the guy at the plate."
Stewart touched on the incident as well, but didn't go into much detail.
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"I had my at-bat. I struck out. He came down the mound looking at me and pointing at me, and just yelling," Stewart said. "Tempers flared, things happened. It's all good. I'm not going to make light into that. We won the series, and things happen, you know? Tough game today, but we won the series. We're going to go to Minnesota and play [Friday]. I'm not going to talk more about that. We leave things on the field and whatever happens, happens."
The tension was part of a series that included several earlier incidents. In Wednesday's game, San Francisco reliever JT Brubaker and Reds hitter Spencer Steer were involved in a pitch-clock dispute after a late timeout call, followed by verbal exchanges. On Thursday, Giants starter Landen Roupp hit Steer with a first-pitch four-seam fastball in the second inning, a pitch sequence unusual for Roupp, who had thrown only five four-seamers all season and just one to a right-handed batter.
Further escalation occurred in the eighth inning when Reds reliever Connor Phillips hit San Francisco shortstop Willy Adames with a pitch. Phillips threw a 98.6 mph fastball inside before hitting Adames with a 98.3 mph pitch, and was later ejected after the play.
On the field, Roupp carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing a single hit to PJ Higgins. He finished with two walks, two hit batters, and six strikeouts. Reds starter Chase Burns allowed just two hits and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings.
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The Giants scored all three runs in the seventh inning after Elly De La Cruz's error, followed by a Matt Chapman double, a Jung Hoo Lee RBI single, and a Casey Schmitt RBI single.
Related: Giants pitcher's 2-word excuse for hitting Reds' Spencer Steer with pitch during tension-filled game
Related: Reds-Giants brewing tension leads to pitcher getting ejected
