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Rafael Devers defied his manager, the Giants fell a season-low 15 games under .500, and the team found new ways to frustrate fans amid an embarrassing weekend in Miami.
After Devers earned a leadoff walk to open the ninth inning on Sunday, Tony Vitello sent rookie Jonah Cox to pinch run for his first baseman. Devers furiously waved off Cox, remained at first base, turned and dismissed his teammate again, and finally stormed into the dugout (opens in new tab) after an umpire made Cox’s substitution official.
The episode was the latest source of humiliation for a team that can’t stay out of its own way.
The early days of the Giants’ season were marked by terrible offensive performances from their highest-paid players. When the lineup eventually showed signs of life, the bullpen collapsed and blew leads with regularity.
Maintaining standards of decency is already a challenge for a pitching staff that hit four batters and a defense that committed four errors in Saturday’s loss.
With hope for a ninth-inning rally on Sunday, Vitello made the easy call to send Cox — one of the fastest players in the organization — in for Devers. Then Devers, whose sprint speed ranks in the 22nd percentile among major leaguers, initially refused to leave the field.
Less than halfway through the season, it’s fair to question everything about the leadership on display.
How does all of this sit with Buster Posey, who convinced ownership to assume the more than $250 million Devers was owed when the slugger was acquired last June? How will Vitello, who writes the lineup card and has rarely punished players for mental mistakes, react when his decision-making is challenged? And what does it say about Devers, a 10th-year veteran who is supposed to help shape the culture inside the Giants’ clubhouse?
It’s hard to imagine the Giants’ season getting worse — but there’s no evidence to suggest the team will improve, either.
Rock bottom might be within reach, but it’s too early to assume this team has found it.
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