Giants pitcher on Freeland after ejection, fracas: ‘Surprised it hasn’t happened before with that guy’

DENVER — In the eyes of San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb, Kyle Freeland had a moment like the one that erupted in the first inning Tuesday night coming.

The Rockies starter was ejected after yelling at Giants first baseman Rafael Devers when he dawdled out of the batter’s box as he paused to watch his two-run homer sail over the right-field fence eight pitches into what would be a 7-4 loss, the Rockies’ 100th of what will be the worst season in franchise history barring an unlikely 21-2 finish to the season.

In Freeland’s eyes, Devers showed him up.

“I just found it extremely disrespectful to show me up like that in the first inning after hitting a home run, standing there watching it, taking your sweet time getting down to first base,” Freeland said.

Countered Giants manager Bob Melvin: “Guys these days are doing a lot worse than what ‘Rafi’ did, watching home runs.”

Devers, meanwhile, was confused at Freeland’s reaction.

“I don’t know why he got like that. I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said through an interpreter. “I mean, I did the same thing I do every time I hit a home run.”

That, in Freeland’s eyes, was too much.

“I’ve been in this league for quite some time, and I know [Devers] has as well. I just find that extremely disrespectful and felt that I needed to let him know about that.”

But it’s the “let him know” part that stuck in the mind of one Giants player: Tuesday night’s opposing starter, Logan Webb.

“I mean, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before with that guy, so,” Webb said of Freeland when he met media after the game. “Just kinda runs his mouth a lot of times. 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

Freeland also maintained that it wasn’t just a matter of what Devers did, but WHEN.

“If it’s a big moment in the game? Usually big moments come [innings] 7, 8, 9 in the game. Sure. I completely understand that. First inning, eight pitches into the game. I do not understand that,” Freeland said. “And I find that extremely disrespectful to show a pitcher up like that.”

SCHAEFFER: FREELAND’S EJECTION “HURTS THE BALLCLUB”

Interim manager Warren Schaeffer said he didn’t see exactly what Devers did — but was clear about the result for the team.

“A guy like ‘Free,’ he’s been pitching a long time. I’ve gotta think he felt disrespected. And he did what he did,” Schaeffer said.

“At the end of the day, when your starter doesn’t get an out in the first inning and he’s gone, that hurts the ballclub. That hurts the ballclub. He knows that.”

But Freeland decided that making a point and standing up outweighed swallowing his pride about being disrespected.

“That’s a tough one to answer because given the circumstances of the first inning, you want to try and play a cool head,” Freeland said.

“But at the same time, being disrespected like that, I felt there was a need to say something to [Devers] and let him know that that disrespected me and you showed me up and I don’t respect you doing that, coming into my ballpark and doing that to me.”

But no matter what, Freeland’s reaction put the Rockies in a difficult spot.

Antonio Senzatela — the erstwhile starter moved to the bullpen last week after absorbing an MLB-high 15 losses — quickly warmed up and carried the Rockies for 4 2/3 innings before allowing a solo home run, the only run he yielded.

“‘Senza’ did a great job. Hero of the night for us,” Schaeffer said.

Added Freeland: “I hurt the bullpen extremely bad tonight doing that, getting ejected in the first inning, eight pitches in. But ‘Senza’ did a phenomenal job of coming in, eating innings for the bullpen, to save them as much as possible.”

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