Giants snap losing streak as Devers makes debut at first base vs. Braves

Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News on Jul 22, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA — Perhaps all the San Francisco Giants needed was for Rafael Devers to do something he’s never done.

San Francisco (53-49) emphatically snapped its six-game losing streak with a 9-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Truist Park as Devers made his professional debut at first base, tied for the team’s largest margin of victory this season.

Along with totaling two hits, two runs and an RBI, Devers recorded four putouts in four chances as a first baseman. Aside from holding runners on first base, Devers wasn’t tasked with doing anything too complex on the defensive end. Casey Schmitt and Willy Adames each fielded a pair of grounders and made Devers’ life easy by delivering chest-high throws.

Devers was far from the only player in the lineup who contributed to San Francisco’s rare offensive explosion. Wilmer Flores hit his 12th home run of the season — and his first since June 7 — as he drove in four runs. Schmitt sent a towering solo homer to Truist Park’s second deck in left field, his fifth home run of the season. Devers, Matt Chapman and Patrick Bailey each had two hits while Adames drew three walks.

On the mound, Landen Roupp tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts as he lowered his ERA on the season to 3.11. Roupp had to navigate several lengthy innings, throwing 20 pitches in the first and 27 pitches in the third, but he helped spell the Giants’ bullpen after Hayden Birdsong failed to retire a single batter on Monday.

The Giants opened up the scoring with four runs in the top of the second. Matt Chapman drove in the game’s first run on a triple that missed being a home run by inches, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Wilmer Flores. Casey Schmitt launched a no-doubt solo homer that landed in Truist Park’s second deck, and Heliot Ramos expanded the lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly.

San Francisco grew its advantage to 5-0 in the fifth on Adames’ RBI single to drive home Devers, then landed a haymaker in the seventh to balloon its lead to 9-0. After Devers drove home Ramos with a single — Ramos ran through a stop sign but still scored — Flores elevated the game to blowout status with a towering three-run homer.

Despite opening up the road trip with four straight losses, the Giants can secure a happy flight back to the Bay Area as Justin Verlander takes the hill on Wednesday in search of his first victory with the black and orange.

____