ATLANTA -- Perhaps starting slugger Rafael Devers at first base for the first time in his career was the shakeup the Giants needed to steer things in the right direction.
Devers went 2-for-5 with a double and RBI single as the Giants routed the Braves 9-0 to snap their season-long six-game losing streak on Tuesday night at Truist Park.
Devers did not record a putout but did handle throws from second baseman Casey Schmitt and shortstop Willy Adames for outs.
Devers, whom the Giants acquired in a shocking blockbuster trade with the Red Sox on June 15, clashed with Boston's front office early this season when he publicly discussed his refusal to play the position.
The 28-year-old Devers had spent the majority of his nine-year career at the hot corner heading into this season, but Boston's signing of Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Alex Bregman last winter signaled the club's intention to move Devers, an inferior defensive third baseman to Bregman, off third base.
"He’s [going to] have to learn the position on the fly,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s not Spring Training and there’s nothing you can really do to go through game situations with him. That’s one of the reasons it’s taken a little while. We’ve done some [pitchers fielding practice] and some bunt plays and stuff like that with him in Toronto after the break. You can only do so much.”
The Giants scored at least nine runs for the first time since June 22 -- a 9-5 win over the Red Sox -- as they scored four runs in the second and four in the seventh. Wilmer Flores, who was in the lineup as a designated hitter, broke the game open with his three-run homer in the seventh.
Since the trade, which netted the Red Sox two big league pitchers and a pair of prospects, Devers had exclusively served as the Giants' designated hitter, hitting .219 with a .333 OBP and two homers in 29 games.
Devers has been dealing with a disk injury in his lower back and some groin discomfort, but Melvin was confident pregame Tuesday that Devers can play in the field.
"He’s probably going to have a little bit of [pain] for a while but he’s managing it,” Melvin said. “He wants to get out there and he wants to play in the field. Today was the day that we kind of talked about it and decided he’d be out there.”
Devers will not be the everyday first baseman, however.
“We’ll take it easy for a little bit,” Melvin said. “He won't play [first] for the day game tomorrow and then we have an off-day. Then we’ll see what the schedule looks like when we get home. He’ll DH tomorrow.”
Flores served as the DH in Tuesday's game at Truist Park, with Devers hitting third.
"That’s one of the reasons we [put Devers at first base],” Melvin said. “We see [Devers] as our first baseman of the future too. It was always going to be a little bit of a process, but he wants to get out there.”