Eugenio Suarez's grand slam highlights 7-run 9th inning as the Reds rally past Giants 10-9

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — 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.

Chicago'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.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Cincinnati Reds' Héctor Rodríguez (43) is congratulated by Elly De La Cruz (44) after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants' Jonah Cox, right, hits a two-run home run next to Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers, second from left, watches his two-run home run next to Cincinnati Reds catcher Jose Trevino, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Well-traveled quarterback Tommy Castellanos plans to play this season for No. 12 Texas Tech, the Big 12 Conference favorite that is set for returner Will Hammond to be its starter after transfer Brendan Sorsby was declared ineligible because of gambling.

A Big 12 ruling later Wednesday, however, made it uncertain if Castellanos would be able to play for the defending league champion Red Raiders.

Castellanos told ESPN earlier in the day that he had committed to Texas Tech. On the quarterback's verified X account, in which the bio included the phrase professional athlete, there was a photo posted with him in a Texas Tech uniform.

The Big 12, after similar decisions by the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences, also is banning players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college. The rule unanimously adopted Wednesday by the Big 12 also makes ineligible any player that declared for the NFL draft and didn't timely withdraw before the draft.

Castellanos, who played last season at Florida State, went undrafted four months ago before a tryout as a receiver with the Miami Dolphins during their rookie minicamp. He was never on an NFL roster, but went through the draft process.

He had declared for the NFL draft last December after dropping his appeal for another year of college eligibility. The NCAA had denied his waiver request to play another season.

Last Friday, Castellanos was among 10 athletes granted a temporary restraining order by a Kentucky judge to get a fifth season of college football. The NCAA announced a rule change in June allowing players who began college in 2023 or later to have five years to play five years of sports in college.

Castellanos, whose college career began at UCF in 2022, transferred last season to Florida State following two at Boston College. His fifth game at UCF as a freshman was the American Athletic Conference championship game after the starter got hurt.

In 38 college games, Castellanos completed 477 of 816 passes (58.5%) for 6,449 yards with 48 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He was 180-of-309 (58.3%) for 2,760 yards, 15 TDs and nine interceptions last year in his 12 games for the Seminoles.

Hammond played in eight games for Big 12 champion Texas Tech behind graduated Behren Morton last season before an ACL injury on Oct. 25. After no setbacks in his recovery, Hammond has been part of fall camp. The Red Raiders open the season at home Sept. 5 against FCS team Abilene Christian.

Sorsby transferred to Tech in January after two seasons at Cincinnati, and was expected to start instead before an NCAA gambling investigation and since-dropped lawsuit over his eligibility.

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FILE - Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) rushes for a touchdown against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack,File)