Eugenio Suárez hit a ninth-inning grand slam Wednesday, August 26, 2026, that helped the Cincinnati Reds erase a six-run deficit and beat the San Francisco Giants 10-9 at Oracle Park. Around the same time, the Reds placed Suárez on outright waivers — a procedure that lets any other team simply claim him and take over his contract, with no trade involved.
Key facts
- Final score: Reds 10, Giants 9 at Oracle Park on Wednesday, August 26, 2026
- Suárez went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, including a ninth-inning grand slam — his 19th home run of the season
- Reds trailed 9-3 entering the ninth; first win from a 6+ run ninth-inning deficit since May 8, 1958
- Around the same time, the Reds placed Suárez and TJ Friedl on outright waivers
- Suárez is owed roughly $2.5 million of his $15 million 2026 salary; Friedl is owed roughly $630,000-$700,000 of his $3.8 million salary
- The 48-hour claim window was expected to close Thursday afternoon; the outcome had not been reported as of August 27, 2026
The comeback
The Giants led 9-3 entering the ninth inning. Two-run home runs from Jonah Cox, Rafael Devers and Shay Whitcomb built that lead, along with a bases-clearing pinch-hit double from Drew Gilbert and six solid innings from starter Logan Webb. Then Cincinnati’s bats woke up.
Hector Rodriguez led off the ninth with his second home run of the game, a 423-foot shot. A single and two walks loaded the bases. Then Suárez drove a pitch from Giants reliever Dylan Smith over the fence for a grand slam — his 19th home run of the season — cutting the deficit to 9-8. Dane Myers and Matt McLain reached on bunt singles. Jose Trevino’s sacrifice fly then tied the game 9-9. Pinch-hitter Tyler Stephenson followed with a single that gave the Reds a 10-9 lead they would not give back. Tony Santillan got the win, and Emilio Pagán closed it out for his 17th save. Suárez finished the night 2-for-5 with four RBIs.
The rally was the Reds’ third-ever win after trailing by six or more runs entering the ninth inning: it was the first since May 8, 1958, against the Cubs, and the only other such win came in May 1918 against St. Louis, improving Cincinnati’s all-time record in those situations to 3-1,917. For the Giants, it was the largest ninth-inning lead they have blown since at least 1901, according to ESPN, which cited Sportradar.
Waivers, hours later
Around the same time as the game, the Reds placed Suárez and outfielder TJ Friedl on outright waivers, a move first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 48-hour claim window was expected to close Thursday afternoon: if no team claims him, Suárez stays with the Reds for the rest of the season, and if a team does claim him, Cincinnati loses him outright.
The money left on both contracts is modest. Suárez is owed roughly $2.5 million of the one-year, $15 million deal he signed to return to Cincinnati for 2026 — an agreement that was less than seven months old when the waivers move came. He is set to become a free agent after this season, and MLB Trade Rumors reports that a mutual $16 million option for 2027 is expected to be declined either way. Friedl is owed roughly $630,000 to $700,000 of his $3.8 million arbitration salary for the year, and would remain under club control for two more seasons if he stays in Cincinnati.
Both players are having down years at the plate. Suárez, who hit 49 home runs in 2025, is batting .208/.295/.410 with 19 home runs and a strikeout rate near 35% across 410 plate appearances this season. Friedl is hitting .158/.242/.234. The available reporting points to Suárez’s underperformance and Cincinnati’s chance to shed salary as likely factors in the move.
What happens next
The outcome of the waiver claim period for both players had not been reported as of August 27, 2026, and Suárez remains a member of the Reds unless and until a claim is confirmed.