LOS ANGELES — At approximately 5:18 p.m. Pacific Time, Joey Lucchesi emerged from the visiting bullpen doors at Dodger Stadium and jogged out to the mound for his season debut. When the funky-throwing lefty delivered his first pitch of the night, the Giants had yet to announce that Lucchesi was officially on the roster.
It was not until 5:45 p.m. that San Francisco officially announced Lucchesi had been selected from Triple-A Sacramento — after Lucchesi’s outing had ended. Given what unfolded pregame, it felt oddly apropos.
That’s because minutes before their 4:10 p.m. game against the Los Angeles Dodgers — a game they would lose 5-4 — news broke that the Giants were acquiring third baseman and designated hitter Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfielder James Tibbs III and right-hander Jose Bello.
For all the emotions, there was still a game to be played.
Harrison, who had spent his entire professional career with the Giants, was scheduled to start. That was no longer possible because of the trade, forcing manager Bob Melvin into his first bullpen game of the year.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) slides into home plate to score as San Francisco Giants catcher Logan Porter, right, looks on during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
“Everybody’s so excited, man,” shortstop Willy Adames said during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. “Me, personally, I’m thrilled to have him on the team. Obviously, he’s one of the best hitters in the game. To have him on the team is going to help us do a lot of damage in this division. Obviously, we need a bat like him in this lineup. Now when we get (Matt Chapman) back in the lineup, it’s going to be exciting.”
Melvin was already without long reliever Spencer Bivens, who threw a season-high 3 1/3 innings in Saturday’s 11-5 loss. Right-hander Tristan Beck, another multi-inning reliever, contributed two innings before backup catcher Logan Porter pitched the eighth.
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On what was likely very short notice, right-hander Sean Hjelle took the ball for San Francisco and delivered his longest outing of the year, allowing two runs over 3 2/3 innings. Given the circumstances, he helped save an already depleted bullpen.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Giants found themselves leading 3-2 after four innings thanks to Christian Koss’ RBI single and Jung Hoo Lee’s two-run triple, but Andy Pages’ three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth gave the Dodgers a lead that they’d never lose.
Third baseman Casey Schmitt, who has been filling in for the injured Matt Chapman, left the ballgame with a left ankle contusion after fouling a ball off himself in the top of the second inning. Following their shocking trade, the Giants won’t have to look far to find someone capable of playing third.
Casey Schmitt #10 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after fouling the ball off his left foot during the second inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
