The San Francisco Giants were three outs away from their first series sweep of the season Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. They led 9-3 heading into the ninth inning at Oracle Park, with the offense doing exactly what it needed to do all afternoon.
Then everything fell apart.
By the time the inning ended, San Francisco had walked off the field with a loss instead of a celebration.
A Historic Collapse for the Giants
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 26: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants argues with umpire Ryan Blakney #36 after Blakney ejected Vitello from their game against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Oracle Park on August 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Spencer Bivens gave up four earned runs to open the ninth, and the rest of the bullpen never recovered. Seven hits, seven runs, a grand slam and two walks later, San Francisco’s commanding lead had evaporated into a 10-9 defeat.
It was the largest blown lead in the ninth inning in franchise history. Entering Wednesday, the Giants had been a perfect 2,208-0 all time when leading by six or more runs in the ninth.
Manager Tony Vitello, who’d been ejected in the first inning after arguing a check-swing call, struggled to find the words for it afterward.
“Don’t really have a word for it,” Vitello said after the 10-9 loss. “It’s more than unfortunate. But what led up to that was a pretty good effort out of some guys, with the bat in particular, playing hard, but we kind of finished how we started on the first pitch, adding more stress to our life than we needed.”
Reliever Dylan Smith was part of the collapse and didn’t hide from it postgame, acknowledging simply that it wasn’t his day out there.
The Mood Inside San Francisco’s Clubhouse
GettyLogan Webb of the San Francisco Giants.
The aftermath was as telling as the game itself, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. Normally, reporters walk into the Giants clubhouse to loud music and players chatting at their lockers. Not Wednesday. The room was silent, no speaker playing, no side conversations, just the occasional sneeze before ace Logan Webb finally came out to face questions.
Vitello later pointed to the resilience of his bullpen as a group, describing the mentality relievers carry as something close to a brotherhood built to bounce back no matter the outcome. Whether that shows up Thursday will say a lot about this team.
Final Word for the Giants
San Francisco doesn’t get much time to sit with Wednesday’s collapse. The Arizona Diamondbacks arrive Thursday for a four-game series, the next of nine remaining chances this season to finally lock up a sweep.
Webb summed up the only real path forward: show up, flush it, and get back to playing baseball. Easier said than done after a loss like this one, but the Giants don’t have another option.
History was made Wednesday for all the wrong reasons. The next four games give San Francisco a chance to move past it.
Giants’ Tony Vitello Drops Blunt Quote After Historic Collapse to Reds