Benches clear after final out of Reds-Giants game

San Francisco Giants pitcher Erik Miller (68) gestures toward the Reds bench as the dugout clears after the final out of the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Benches clear after final out of Reds-Giants game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 16, 2026 4:35 PM ET

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The Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants had an odd bench-clearing incident Thursday after the final out of the game had been recorded.

The Reds dropped the series finale to the Giants 3-0 Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Giants pitcher Erik Miller and Reds infielder Sal Stewart exchanged words after Stewart struck out, prompting both benches to clear.

No punches were thrown, both both dugouts cleared even though the game was over.

Take a look:

Benches clear after the final out in Giants vs. Reds pic.twitter.com/aRsGHXGkme
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 16, 2026

Tensions between the Reds and Giants were high for the last two games of the series. Reds outfielder Spencer Steer had words for Giants pitcher JT Brubaker on Wednesday after being granted a late timeout. Speer was hit by a pitch in the second inning of Thursday’s game, and Giants infielder Willy Adames was hit in the eighth, leading to Reds pitcher Connor Phillips’ ejection.

The Giants have plenty of frustration to work off, which probably exacerbated tensions. They had lost four straight games heading into Thursday’s game, and life has been rocky under new manager Tony Vitello.

The Reds and Giants will square off again this season, though not until late August. It remains to be seen if these tensions might carry over until then.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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