Entering Friday's series opener between the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants, all eyes were on Rafael Devers. After the slugger refused to play first base in Boston, the Red Sox traded him away. The newest Giants designated hitter faced a lot of pressure heading into the series opener and fell short. However, it was Aroldis Chapman and Wilmer Flores who stole the show.
Chapman came into a 7-5 game in the bottom of the ninth inning. The former All-Star was elite once again, striking out Heliot Ramos and Devers en route to his 14th save of the season. However, the last out of the game was full of drama.
Flores popped out to first base for the final out. However, Chapman tapped the Giants first baseman with his glove as he jogged by the pitcher's mound. Flores took exception, and a couple of Boston coaches needed to come onto the field to hold their closer back.
Chapman spoke to reporters about what he said to Flores that caused the incident. According to Boston Globe writer Tim Healey, the 37-year-old was upset that Flores made eye-contact and then looked away, triggering a pitch clock violation that earned him an automatic ball.
“Maybe the umpire doesn’t catch that,” Chapman said about what happened between him and Flores.”I feel like that’s not OK.”
Article Continues BelowThe pitch clock has been to blame for a lot of upset players since its introduction in 2023. In Chapman's opinion, Flores abused the rules in an effort to get on base. However, it was not enough as he followed Devers into the dugout after the loss.
Chapman has been in his fair share of conflicts throughout his professional career. “The Cuban Missile” throws as hard as anyone in the league, but his control is not the best. The result is situations in which he has hit batters with his pitches and either injured or upset them enough that they got into his face.
While the game ended with drama, the Red Sox walked away with a win in the series opener. Devers will be the center of attention against his former team throughout the three-game set.
If the incident between Flores and Chapman is a sign of what is to come this weekend, the games become must-watch TV.