Giants downplay Rafael Devers incident late in…
MIAMI — Once again, Rafael Devers is stirring up drama.
This time, the Giants first baseman, who refused to play the place with the Red Sox, again tried to stand in the best way of what his supervisor thought was best for the group.
Manager Tony Vitello, for what it’s value, chalked this incident up to Devers’ competitiveness.
The Giants’ Rafael Devers didn’t like being pulled from the sport in the ninth inning Sunday. Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
“I don’t have any problem with Rafi,” Vitello said, including that he didn’t really feel the need to converse to Devers about the incident because “we talk every day.”
“He probably wants to win as much as anyone in that clubhouse. He wants to stay in the game. We’ve talked during this road trip about how he feels [physically], and obviously part of how he feels is he’s 100% good to go running-wise.”
Even at full pace, though, Devers wouldn’t have given the Giants a better probability at tying the sport than the speedy Jonah Cox. He walked to lead off the ninth inning of the 2-1 loss that accomplished a sweep by the Marlins. Representing the tying run, it was only common sense to pinch-run for the participant whose dash pace (26.2 ft per second) is the slowest on the group.
But Devers wasn’t having it.
Standing on first, Devers wagged his index finger back and forth as if to wave off the transfer. When Cox got here out of the dugout, Devers tried — to no avail — to shoo him away.
Instead, after some protest, it was Devers who finally returned to the dugout, where he veered to keep away from a pat on the back from bench coach Jayce Tingler and stormed in a huff instantly back to the clubhouse. He declined an interview request through a group PR official.
“Once we announce the move, the move was made,” Vitello said. “Just going with our best effort to win the game. Obviously you’d like Jonah to go get a bag. [Miami’s closer Lake Bachar] is relatively quick to the plate. But on a double, going with our best chance to be able to score.”
Third baseman Matt Chapman agreed that it was the appropriate transfer.
“There’s a reason why Tony made the move,” Chapman said. “It’s just a heat-of-the-moment thing [with Devers]. Rafi wants to play and wants to win.”
The Giants haven’t completed a lot successful this season and took their third loss in a row after Jung Hoo Lee flew out and Willy Adames grounded into a game-ending double play.
The dropping streak comes on the heels of San Francisco’s fifth three-game successful streak of the season. But the Giants have yet to win a fourth in a row and fell 15 video games below .500, matching a season worst.
“It’s frustrating,” Chapman said, “because it seems as soon as we have some momentum, it’s a couple steps forward and a couple steps back.”
Devers performed 163 video games last season, a rarity made potential by his midseason commerce from the Red Sox. Getty Images
Say what you’ll about Devers and his efficiency on a $313.5 million contract, he doesn’t like to take days off or, apparently, come out of a recreation. He performed 163 video games last season, a rarity made potential by his midseason commerce from the Red Sox.
Vitello in contrast Devers to Logan Webb, the Giants’ workhorse ace, in that regard.
“I’d rather have guys like Webby that you have to rip them off the field,” Vitello said, “as opposed to vice versa.”
But Devers has a historical past of diva-adjacent habits. It is, in half, what introduced an end to his time in Boston, where he signed a 10-year extension only a yr before being offloaded to San Francisco.
In Boston, supervisor Alex Cora requested Devers to play first base after their starter, Triston Casas, went down with a season-ending injury. Devers had been the Red Sox’s third baseman before they signed Alex Bregman that winter and then grew to become their designated hitter.
The Red Sox never received their approach in that scenario; this time, Devers had no say besides to categorical his displeasure with his dramatic response to the transfer.
“You know how competitive he is,” Vitello said. “He wanted to stay in the game.”
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