Not again: Another SF Giants pitcher leaves game early in win over Reds

Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News on Aug 26, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SAN FRANCISCO — The already lean San Francisco Giants pitching rotation appeared to lose a second member in as many nights on Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Adrian Houser left Tuesday’s game against the Reds after only 1.1 innings and 26 pitches in the Giants’ 3-1 victory over Cincinnati. After his final pitch to Hector Rodriguez, a 93.9 mile per hour fastball, Houser grimaced and shook his arm. Houser has made 25 appearances and 15 starts in his first season as a Giant. The 10-year veteran is 4-7 with a 4.08 ERA, and has thrown 108 innings.

Manager Tony Vitello and a member of the Giants’ medical staff went out to the mound, and after a brief discussion in the middle of the diamond pulled Houser from the game.

Right-hander Anthony Molina then came out of the bullpen to make his Giants debut. Molina, who has made 55 major league appearances with the Rockies and Braves, was part of the trade that sent former starter Tyler Mahle to Atlanta. Molina was one of five pitchers who saw action for the Giants, and had a stellar debut in the black and orange.

Molina (1-0) got his first win after he threw 4.1 innings and allowed just two baserunners, a walk and hit in his unexpected stint of long relief. Carson Seymour earned his first career save.

Reds starter Brady Singer (5-12) lasted 5.2 innings and gave up three earned runs on six hits and two walks.

San Francisco had given Houser a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Drew Cavanaugh drove in Drew Gilbert and Rafael Devers on a single to center. Devers padded the lead to three with a solo home run, his 28th homer of the season, over the right field wall in the fifth inning.

With that home run, Devers became just the third Giant all-time to have at least 48 home runs in his first 222 games with the franchise, joining Willie Mays (48) and Barry Bonds (61) on the list.

Rookie of the year candidate Sal Stewart drove in the Reds’ only run in the top of the ninth inning with his 28th home run of the season.

Houser’s injury came around 24 hours after Carson Whisenhunt sustained a similar-looking injury against Cincinnati on Monday. The Giants announced on Tuesday afternoon that Whisenhunt would require Tommy John surgery to repair his torn UCL. Whisenhunt will be the third Giants starter to undergo the operation. Hayden Birdsong and Trevor McDonald also had their seasons cut short by the surgery.

San Francisco called up Spencer Bivens to fill Whisenhunt’s place on the roster. Tristan Beck and and Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson are both candidates to be promoted if Houser’s injury is diagnosed as serious.

The Giants experienced another injury scare in the top of the fourth inning. Center fielder Drew Gilbert, one of the few regulars still left in the lineup, slammed full speed into the outfield wall after tracking down a fly ball off the bat of Sal Stewart.

Gilbert remained down for several moments. After being attended to by medical personnel, he was able to get to his feet and remained in the game.

The Giants (54-78) will look to complete the sweep and hand the ball to Landen Roupp (7-13, 4.34 ERA) for the series finale on Wednesday against Nick Lodolo (3-3, 5.04 ERA). First pitch is at 12:45 p.m. PT.