It took 77 games, but things finally got weird between Rafael Devers and San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello.
Devers, the Giants’ slugging first baseman, wagged his finger vigorously toward Vitello after the rookie manager sent in a pinch-runner for him in the top of the ninth inning at Miami, the Giants trailing by a run.
Yet speedy pinch runner Jonah Cox had already entered. Devers, who’d drawn a leadoff walk, tried to shoo him away from the bag. Yet he had to yield to the rookie who was called up from Double-A on June 1 and left the field cursing into his helmet.
And then, before Cox could even think about stealing second base, Jung Hoo Lee flied out and Willy Adames hit into a game-ending double play, sealing the Giants’ 2-1 loss and a desultory sweep in Miami.
Devers was NOT happy.. especially once he got back to the dugout pic.twitter.com/AiQmFQpUcb
— Matthew Crory (@matthewcrory) June 21, 2026
Vitello said in his postgame news conference that Devers’ leg had been bothering him a little bit, and that Cox represented their best chance to tie the score, although noting that Marlins reliever Lake Bachar was challenging to steal a base against.
“You know how competitive he is. He wanted to stay in the game,” Vitello said. “Once we announce the move, the move is made. Just going with our best effort to win the game. (Devers) was signaling over to us he was good to run. Obviously, would like Jonah to get a bag. He’s relatively quick to the plate. But on a double, going on our best chance to win the game.
“In a perfect world, you’d like to see Cox get a bag at second, if he can. At the very least, if you go down, you go down swinging with your fastest guy.”
Yet if Cox found his way home, that still would have only tied the score. Devers’ bat would have been removed from the middle of the lineup in extra innings, likely the source of Devers’ consternation. Devers is third on the Giants with 11 homers and has 246 for his career.
Still, Vitello insists he and the Giants first baseman, owed roughly $225 million through 2033, are good.
“We talk every day. We’re good. I’d rather have guys you have to rip off the field,” Vitello said shortly before the Giants headed to the airport for a cross-country flight back to San Francisco.
“I don’t have any problem with Raffy. We talk every day; he’s one of the most entertaining guys to be around. He wants to stay in the game.”
The loss wasted a complete-game effort from ace Logan Webb, who gave up five hits and two runs in eight innings. The Giants are now 31-46 in the first season for Vitello, the first manager to make the leap from college coaching – at Tennessee – to the major leagues.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rafael Devers fumes after Tony Vitello removes him for pinch runner
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