The San Francisco Giants roster has changed so much lately that even the players are joking about it. Bryce Eldridge summed up the mood earlier this week in Arlington.
“It feels like we’re playing for the San Francisco River Kitties right now,” Eldridge said.
New faces keep arriving by the day. But Friday night, it was three familiar veterans who carried San Francisco to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Veterans Power the Offense
GettyRafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants.
Rafael Devers opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Jung Hoo Lee followed with a two-run single in the second, and Willy Adames added a solo shot to pad the lead further. The Tigers threatened repeatedly in the late innings but stranded 12 runners on base, unable to complete a comeback.
The win kept San Francisco from falling to 20 games under .500, a mark that would’ve underscored just how difficult this stretch has been for a heavily reshuffled roster.
Devers, Adames, and Lee are the only three veterans remaining from San Francisco’s Opening Day lineup, and all three delivered Friday. Devers’ home run was his 24th of the season, and with Casey Schmitt sidelined, he should comfortably finish as the team’s home run leader. Adames pushed his own total to 19 for the season and 199 for his career, putting him on pace for 26 homers, a number he tends to build on late in the year. Devers is on track to reach 30 home runs for the fifth time in his career.
Giants Turn to Their First Bullpen Game
GettyManager Tony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants.
Friday marked the Giants’ first true bullpen game of the season, a strategy manager Tony Vitello said he was approaching more with an eye on workload than results. JT Brubaker allowed a run in the first inning before handing things over to Adrian Houser, who worked five innings as the bulk arm and allowed just one run. Houser ran into traffic more than once but consistently found his way out of it, aided by strong outfield defense behind him.
It’s unclear whether San Francisco will repeat the approach in five days, but bullpen games figure to become a regular part of the plan given the current state of the rotation. Beyond Friday’s group, Carson Seymour and Trent Harris remain available on the roster as additional length options.
Basabe Continues to Produce
Osleivis Basabe added two more hits Friday, a hard single to left and an infield single, pushing his mark to 8-for-24 since being called up last week. He’s given San Francisco little reason to slow down his opportunities at the plate.
Schmitt’s season appears to be over, and Matt Chapman indicated Friday he’s likely to undergo surgery next week for an abdominal injury, ending his season as well. Marcelo Mayer worked out with the team before the game and should begin a rehab assignment in the coming days, though he remains roughly a week away from being a realistic option.
Mayer projects as an everyday starter once healthy, and San Francisco currently has two open infield spots at second and third base. Basabe and Christian Koss have handled most of the work there so far.
Final Word for the Giants
San Francisco’s roster looks almost unrecognizable from where it started the season. Friday’s win doesn’t change the bigger picture, but it did show the pieces still in place can still deliver when needed. Devers, Adames, and Lee did their part.
Friday, at least, was a good night.
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