SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants traded for Rafael Devers, one of the first things they did was eliminate the possibility of him playing third base again.

The focus was on learning first base, with the idea that in the offseason, or down the line at some point, the front office would figure out how to handle the Devers-Bryce Eldridge combination. Matt Chapman twice has gone on the IL since Devers joined the Giants, but there never has been any real talk of moving the new slugger back across the diamond. Instead, Casey Schmitt has been the fill in, with others taking grounders just in case. 

The staff figured it would take something completely unexpected to ever see Devers at the position he played for more than 900 games in Boston. On Tuesday, the unexpected arrived. 

Devers’ first-inning homer was followed by fireworks, and after the benches and bullpens cleared and everyone traded the usual round of shoves and shouts, Chapman and Willy Adames got ejected, along with Colorado Rockies starter Kyle Freeland. Without any more realistic options, manager Bob Melvin turned to Devers to play third. 

“He didn’t even have a glove. He used Chapman’s glove,” Melvin told reporters in Denver. “He didn’t even have his third baseman’s glove here and he played well over there.”

Devers looked like, well, someone who had played third base his entire career until this season. More importantly, the scramble drill did nothing to harm the defense or put extra stress on starter Logan Webb. In fact, it might have helped in a way.

Schmitt came off the bench to play second a day after taking a pitch off his elbow and hit a huge homer. Wilmer Flores hit one, too, and Patrick Bailey added an insurance blast when the Rockies crept within one. The Giants won 7-4, shaking hands on the mound for the ninth time in 10 games. 

It was there where everyone gathered in the first inning, and the teams had differing views on why it happened. 

Freeland told reporters at Coors Field that he found it “extremely disrespectful” that Devers watched his two-run blast in the first fly for a couple of extra beats. 

“Standing there watching it, taking your sweet time getting down to first base,” he said. “I’ve been in this league for quite some time — I know he has as well — I just found it extremely disrespectful and felt that I needed to let him know about that.”

Webb, who picked up his 13th win, indicated the Giants were not that surprised that Freeland popped off. 

“I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before with that guy,” he told reporters. “He just kind of runs his mouth a lot of times and Rafi got him good.”

“Surprised it hasn’t happened before with that guy. Just kind of runs his mouth …”

Logan Webb reacts to tonight’s altercation involving Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland pic.twitter.com/VUEfq1lhJK

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 3, 2025

The Devers blast was one of four by the Giants, tying a season-high. They all of a sudden are the hottest team in baseball, and even losing their two most valuable position players couldn’t slow them Tuesday. The win was the type that will be remembered for years to come if there’s a miracle over the final month and they reach the MLB playoffs, although because the New York Mets won earlier in the night, the Giants remained five back in the wild-card race. 

Regardless, they’re playing good, clean baseball — even when forced to play (sort of) out of position. 

“He made a really good decision on the double play — he was thinking about for a moment going home, figured out the speed of the runner and gets the double play,” Melvin said of Devers, his third baseman for the night. “He gets a ball right away [in the bottom of the first] at third base. For a guy that hasn’t played there in a year or whatever it’s been, he stepped up for us, for sure.”

Like the rest of the Giants, Melvin was left smiling. It was one of the more memorable wins of what has been an unexpectedly rocky year, and it got the Giants back above .500. Melvin did have one concern, though. 

Ejections generally come with suspensions, and the Giants have no margin for error right now. They were able to pound the Rockies without Adames and Chapman, but they don’t want to be missing either for a game or two down the stretch, especially against a more competitive opponent. 

“I hope MLB understands,” Melvin said. “Hopefully this isn’t significant for these two guys.”

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