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What we learned as Spencer Bivens, bullpen collapse prevent Giants' first sweep
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- What we learned as Spencer Bivens, bullpen collapse prevent Giants' first sweep
What we learned as Spencer Bivens, bullpen collapse prevent Giants' first sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants took a commanding — or so they thought — six-run lead into the top of the ninth inning Wednesday, and were three seemingly easy outs away from their first sweep of the 2026 MLB season.
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But nothing is as easy as it seems with this Giants team, as the Reds rallied for seven runs and handed San Francisco a stunning 10-9 loss in the series finale at Oracle Park.
The Reds' offense wasn't ready to go down quietly against recently recalled Giants reliever Spencer Bivens . Reds outfielder Hector Rodriguez took Bivens' second pitch 423 feet to right for a solo homer, cutting Cincinnati 's deficit to five.
Still with no outs, Bivens found himself in a bases-loaded jam, forcing the Giants to turn to Dylan Smith.
Smith now had the fate of Giants' history in the palm of his hands, literally. But Eugenio Suarez 's grand slam turned this game around in the blink of an eye. Down one run, the Reds' offense took advantage of sloppy Giants defense. With runners on the corners, Jose Trevino 's sacrifice fly tied the game before Tyler Stephenson 's RBI single put Cincinnati on top.
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And just like that, a 9-3 lead became a 10-9 deficit — and eventual loss — for the Giants.
Boos immediately filled Oracle Park.
Giants reliever Reiver Sanmartin replaced Smith and, alas, got out the inning with no further damage.
San Francisco's offense, which has been solid this series, had one final chance to make things right. But it was too much to overcome, and the Giants still remain without a series sweep in 2026.
Logan Webb looked to bounce back from a rough outing in Boston , and he quickly found himself needing to bounce back from a rough start against the Reds. He did. Webb tossed six innings of two-run ball, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out six on 97 pitches.
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Giants manager Tony Vitello was ejected in the first inning after arguing a correct check-swing call, leading to a NSFW eruption.
Here are the takeaways from the Giants' 10-9 loss:
Bivens, bullpen blow it
If there were a way to summarize the Giants' 2026 season, the ninth inning of Wednesday's loss would do so.
The Giants have had pitching issues all around, but the bullpen in particular continuously has let the team down.
Even after a shaky Webb start, he did his part to settle in and bounce back.
Rafael Devers , leading a lineup of players recently promoted from Triple-A, did his part.
But the bullpen, once again, blew it for San Francisco.
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Webb left the mound allowing two runs. Three innings later, the Reds had somehow scored eight more.
Bivens allowed four earned runs, three hits and two walks. Smith allowed three runs (two earned) and four hits in relief work.
Some might say it's hard to believe how this game ended, but if you've watched Giants baseball this season, it really isn't.
Webb solid through six
The Giants made a last-minute pitching change ahead of Wednesday's series finale against the Reds.
Landen Roupp was scheduled to start, but San Francisco swapped him with its ace with a chance to go for the first series sweep.
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Roupp will start Thursday.
It wasn't perfect by any means, but Webb lasted longer than his previous outing in Wednesday's win against the Reds.
For reference … that's a mighty low bar for the three-time All-Star.
Coming off an uncharacteristic showing against the Red Sox in Boston last week, in which the Giants ace allowed five runs (five earned) and six hits through 2 2/3 innings, Webb was on the bump for much longer at Oracle Park.
Webb ran into trouble early, but he settled in the rest of the way.
The righty allowed five hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out six through six innings.
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Still searching for sweep
The Giants entered Wednesday's game as the only team in MLB without a three-game sweep. They previously had five opportunities to break that streak, but they had gone 0-5 this season when entering the final game of a three-game series and a chance to sweep.
That continued Wednesday in frustrating fashion.
"Now that you say it that way, it doesn't sound good to do something that no one else has done in a negative way," Vitello said pregame. "But just want to keep improving, to be honest with you, and always come to the park and want to win. And our job over here is to prepare them before the game and then try and put them in a good position. So just to do those things to help them win."
They don't have long to prevent being on that list. But only time will tell.
