Hao-Yu Lee hits 7th home run in loss to Royals

Rodriguez hit a solo shot in the third inning to tie the game at two, and he homered again in the ninth on a ball that left the bat at 115.3 mph. Cincinnati began that inning down six and came all the way back to take the lead. Rodriguez hasn’t been playing every day since he was called up on August 4, but he hit leadoff on Wednesday. With their season not going anywhere, one figures the Reds will give the 22-year-old some runway down the stretch.

Lodolo struck out five and walked two. He gave up two homers, one on a hanging breaking ball to Rafael Devers. The left-hander has been on the injured list twice this season with blister issues, and he’s admitted to working through adjustments to his pitch grips lately. He’ll carry a disappointing 5.24 ERA into his next start against the Padres.

That makes 17 saves for Pagán this season. He missed time earlier in the year but regained Cincinnati’s locked-in closer role upon returning. He’s allowed just three earned runs in 15 innings since the All-Star break.

Webb struck out six and walked one. He allowed a solo homer to Hector Rodriguez but otherwise pitched well enough to win. San Francisco’s bullpen blew a six-run lead in the ninth, robbing him of the victory. Landen Roupp was originally scheduled to start this one before the Giants swapped his rotation spot with Webb. His next start lines up on the road against the Pirates.

Cincinnati entered the ninth trailing by six, and Suárez’s grand slam made it a one-run game before any outs were recorded. The veteran DH hasn’t had the season Reds fans or fantasy managers hoped for after last year’s 49-homer eruption. On the positive side, Suárez has played enough at the hot corner this season to retain third base eligibility heading into 2027.

Stewart becomes the first player to reach 100 RBI this season. It has been a terrific rookie campaign for the 22-year-old. Stewart also has 28 homers and 12 stolen bases, plus he’s eligible at first, third, and second in certain formats. He has made only seven starts at second base, so his playing time there will be worth monitoring over the season’s final month-plus.

Devers’ homer came on a hanging breaking ball from Nick Lodolo, which he promptly deposited into McCovey Cove. It marked the third straight contest in which he homered, giving him 29 on the year. He has once again rebounded after a concerningly slow start to the season. Devers is now one homer away from becoming the second Giant since 2005 to connect for 30. Willy Adames accomplished that feat on the final day of the 2025 regular season.

Vásquez allowed one hit and two walks on the afternoon, taking advantage of a favorable matchup as the Pirates’ hitters have struggled badly lately. The right-hander got off to a strong start in 2026 before he was hit by regression and then dealt with an ankle injury. His recent stretch is the best he’s thrown since April. The Padres entered this series having won 21 of 28 before dropping the first two, but they avoided the sweep. Vásquez’s next start lines up in hitter-friendly Cincinnati.

Chandler struck out three in the outing as Pittsburgh couldn’t pull off the sweep. Their rotation has been up-and-down throughout 2026, but by most metrics, Chandler has been their best starter in the second half. He combines one of the group’s lowest walk rates with a favorable ground-ball rate. Still just 23 years old, he’ll draw the Giants at home next time out.

Merrill doubled off Bubba Chandler in the bottom of the second before coming around to score on a Luis Rengifo RBI. He tripled in the fourth, driving in Manny Machado to give San Diego a 2-0 lead. Merrill’s season-long batting line is still below league average despite a recent hot streak. His 11 second-half homers are tied for the third-most in the majors. What has helped his fantasy line is an aggressive stolen base approach. He’s 24 for 27 on the bases after finishing 1 for 3 a season ago. There’s still plenty of talent to dream on in the 23-year-old.