Giants snap four-game losing streak as tempers flare against Reds

Justice delos Santos, Bay Area News Group on Apr 16, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CINCINNATI — The Giants desperately needed a stopper. Landen Roupp played that role to perfection.

Roupp turned in his finest start of the season as the Giants beat the Reds, 3-0, to snap a four-game losing streak on Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, pitching six shutout innings and no-hitting the Reds for the first five frames.

Right-fielder Jung Hoo Lee continues to show signs that his bat is heating up, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. During this road trip, Lee is 10 for 23 (.434) with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Some drama from Wednesday night bled into Thursday.

In the bottom of the second, Roupp plunked Spencer Steer with a first-pitch four-seam fastball, a pitch he had only thrown five times this season entering play. Steer was at the plate when JT Brubaker had his fiery moment Wednesday, shouting at the reliever to “throw the (expletive) ball” after Brubaker’s back-and-forth with umpire Quinn Wolcott.

That appeared to be the end of the extracurriculars until the top of the eighth inning. With the Giants leading 3-0, the Reds’ Connor Phillips started his matchup against Willy Adames with an inside fastball that Adames had to dodge. Phillips went back to the well on the next pitch and plunked Adames, prompting some consternation from San Francisco’s shortstop.

Several Giants players and coaches emerged from the dugout and went onto the field, but the tensions were relatively mild. Phillips was then ejected from the game.

After Erik Miller struck Sal Stewart to end the game, both benches cleared after Stewart appeared to take exception to Miller’s emotion.

Manager Tony Vitello also had a tense moment with home plate umpire Junior Valentine in the top of the third after Patrick Bailey hit into an inning-ending double play.

Roupp didn’t allow his first hit of the afternoon until No. 9 hitter P.J. Higgins led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. The right-hander followed Higgins’ single by plunking TJ Friedl, giving the Reds runners on first and second with no outs. With his back against the wall, Roupp found a way out of trouble.

Matt McLain attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Roupp ended up recording a strikeout after McLain bunted his first two attempts foul. Roupp then got Elly De La Cruz to hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, one that second baseman Luis Arraez and shortstop Willy Adames quickly and perfectly turned.

In the top of the seventh, De La Cruz set the table for the Giants’ three-run frame by booting a routine grounder from Arraez. San Francisco didn’t let the extra out go to waste.

Matt Chapman broke the scoreless tie with a double to left-center that scored Arraez, then Chapman scored on a single by Lee. After Heliot Ramos drew a pinch-hit walk, Schmitt muscled a single to center that scored Lee. San Francisco had its first lead of the series, and chants of “Let’s go, Giants” broke out in the lower bowl.

Following Roupp’s departure, Ryan Walker pitched a scoreless seventh, Keaton Winn followed with a scoreless eighth and Miller shut the door in the ninth for his first career save.