Benches clear after testy Giants vs. Reds MLB game. See what happened.

TL;DR

A heated exchange occurred between the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds after a game on April 16, 2026. The incident involved Giants closer Erik Miller and Reds rookie Sal Stewart, leading to benches clearing.

Key points

Giants won 3-0 against the Reds on April 16, 2026
Erik Miller struck out Sal Stewart to end the game
Benches cleared after a confrontation between Miller and Stewart
Incident rooted in a previous game with JT Brubaker and Spencer Steer
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey intervened during the altercation

San Francisco GiantsCincinnati RedsErik MillerSal Stewart

A belated call for time, a pair of hit-by-pitches and a game-ending strikeout stretched across two days to produce a tepid postgame incident between the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds.

Giants closer Erik Miller struck out Reds rookie Sal Stewart to finish the team's 3-0 victory Thursday, April 16 at Great American Ball Park. The 6-5 lefty exulted and walked toward his own dugout. Stewart, though, apparently took issue with some unreported verbosity, turned and headed toward Miller.

Giants catcher Patrick Bailey interceded and Miller used the international symbol for "go back to your dugout" as the benches ambled out and bullpens jogged in out of curiosity.

The kerfuffle's roots sprang from a night earlier, when Giants reliever JT Brubaker got perturbed by a late timeout call from Reds slugger Spencer Steer as Brubaker prepared to deliver a pitch in the bottom of the seventh.

Brubaker responded, in a sense, by waiting until the final second on the pitch clock to deliver his next pitch. That prompted Steer, captured by video cameras, to shout, "Throw the (expletive) ball." The Reds went on to win 8-3.

A day later, Giants starter Landen Roupp, who took a no-hitter into the sixth, drilled Steer in the ribs in Steer's first at-bat of the game in the second inning. It was the only four-seam fastball Roupp threw all day. He later told reporters the pitch slipped.

In the eighth, Reds reliever Connor Phillips responded by drilling the Giants' Willy Adames in the leg with a pitch. Adames looked out at the pitcher; benches stirred, but weren't shaken. Phillips was ejected, to the mild objections of Reds manager Terry Francona.

Q&A

What caused the benches to clear in the Giants vs. Reds game?

The benches cleared after a confrontation between Giants closer Erik Miller and Reds rookie Sal Stewart, following a game-ending strikeout.

Who are the key players involved in the Giants and Reds incident?

Key players involved include Giants closer Erik Miller, Reds rookie Sal Stewart, and Giants catcher Patrick Bailey.

What happened during the previous game that led to the incident?

The incident's roots trace back to a previous game where Giants reliever JT Brubaker was upset by a late timeout call from Reds slugger Spencer Steer.

What was the outcome of the Giants vs. Reds game on April 16, 2026?

The San Francisco Giants won the game 3-0 against the Cincinnati Reds.