“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the best coaching moment of the night was we told Rafi if he got on first, we were going to pinch-run for him.”
Tony Vitello inspired Devers’ ninth-inning homer 😂
Getty
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello joked about threatening to pinch run Rafael Devers before home run.
It’s been a chaotic few days for the San Francisco Giants, with criticism swirling around the team, slugger Rafael Devers, and manager Tony Vitello growing. In particular, after Devers tried to refuse to be pinch-run for against the Miami Marlins. So, it’s gone a long way to get home and get back on track against the Athletics.
On Wednesday, the Giants earned their second win in a row. This one came in emotional fashion, with two ninth-inning solo home runs, the first of which came off the bat of Rafael Devers. A couple of batters later, Victor Bericoto hit his own home run to walk it off.
After the game, Vitello was all smiles. He even had a joke about how he was able to motivate Devers to hit his home run.
“I complimented some of the other coaches,” Tony Vitello said. “I’d probably be remiss if I didn’t say the best coaching moment of the night was we told Rafi if he got on first, we were going to pinch-run for him, and that was that at-bat in the ninth… You gave a courtesy laugh right there. That was a joke.”
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the best coaching moment of the night was we told Rafi if he got on first, we were going to pinch-run for him.”
Tony Vitello inspired Devers’ ninth-inning homer 😂
Vitello is right, it was a tough crowd who first heard the joke. Still, there is something about the willingness to joke about the Devers pinch-running incident that does make it seem like it’s a concern of the past for the Giants.
GettyRafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants
Going back to his time with the Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers rarely speaks to the media. That’s continued during his time with the San Francisco Giants. However, he did speak shortly following the incident where he refused a pinch-runner.
Devers may not have done himself any favors, though, becoming critical of how the media depicts stories.
“The media, in general, you guys just blow everything out of proportion, and I think that’s a reflection of why I really don’t talk to you guys,” Devers said.
Devers spoke through a translator. He would later cut the media scrum short, rather than answering a follow-up question. It would, again, lead to criticism of him and whether or not he’s a good player for the locker room.
GettySan Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers
When the Giants traded for Rafael Devers in June of 2025, the hope was that he could be a long-term power bat in the middle of their lineup. Along with that, they took on a massive contract, which Devers is under through 2033 and will pay him $28.5 million annually. Now, that’s become a quagmire for the Giants.
Now, in 169 games with the Giants, Devers is hitting .237 with a .326 OBP, a .449 slugging percentage, and a .775 OPS. He also has 32 home runs and 38 doubles.
This is a player who hit .279 with a .349 OBP, a .510 slugging percentage, and an .859 OPS with 215 home runs and 273 doubles in nine seasons with the Red Sox. Fenway Park is a hitters’ park, but the Giants haven’t gotten that same player. Worse, defensively, Devers struggles, meaning he’ll likely be a DH in the long run.
That means that the Giants have an expensive DH, who isn’t hitting up to his potential, and now has locker room concerns hanging over his head. It’s not surprising that the Giants are rumored to be shopping Devers around.
Dan Morrison After graduating from UMass in 2019, Dan Morrison quickly began a career in sports journalism and digital media. That has seen him work both as a contributing writer at several publications, as well as spending time on the National News Desk at On3. During that time, he has spent the majority of his time covering football, both at the college and NFL levels. Currently residing in Central Florida, his focus with Heavy is on the NFL. More about Dan Morrison
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