SF Giants’ Adames, Bericoto leave Sunday’s game vs. Red Sox with injuries

Injuries Strike in Fifth Inning as Giants Swept

The San Francisco Giants' 5-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday came with a heavy cost, as shortstop Willy Adames and left fielder Victor Bericoto both exited the game with injuries during the fifth inning. The defeat completed a three-game sweep at Fenway Park and marked the Giants' fourth consecutive loss.

Adames, who was diagnosed with a left elbow injury, hurt himself sliding into home plate while scoring in the top of the first inning. According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, he banged his left elbow against catcher Connor Wong during the slide. Adames remained in the game initially but continued to experience discomfort, especially after striking out in the top of the fifth. He was replaced before the bottom of the fifth, with Buddy Kennedy entering the game and Christian Koss shifting from third base to shortstop.

Bericoto's injury came in the bottom of the fifth when he chased a fly ball toward the left-field wall in foul territory. As fans reached for the ball, Bericoto turned to avoid being hit in the face and twisted his right knee. He went down in pain and stayed on the ground for several minutes before walking off under his own power, though gingerly. The Giants were awarded an inning-ending out on the play due to fan interference. Drew Gilbert replaced Bericoto, pinch-hitting to lead off the sixth and taking over in left field.

Both players are scheduled to undergo MRIs on Monday. Adames said team medical personnel told him the injury could be an elbow strain, though he noted that is not an official diagnosis. "Hopefully, it's nothing crazy," Adames said. "We'll see what's up."

Bericoto, speaking through team interpreter Erwin Higueros, said he believed he had avoided a major injury. "I thought I had damaged my knee really bad, because I felt pain really bad," he said. He added that his foot "gave way" when he stepped, causing the knee injury, and that he remained "a little sore" after the game. Initial examinations did not turn up anything serious, and NBC Sports reports he is considered day-to-day, though one report from the same outlet suggests he has a bone bruise in the knee.

Adames' Season and Injury History

Adames' injury adds to a challenging season. The 30-year-old has been dealing with a back issue for several months, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. He said his back has been feeling better recently, but the elbow injury could force him to consider an injured list stint. "If it's something that might take a few days, I might have to consider [going on the injured list]," Adames said. "I have to wait for the results tomorrow and see what it says. Hopefully, nothing bad."

Before leaving Sunday's game, Adames finished 1-for-3. He had been on a hot streak, with at least one hit in nine of his last 11 contests, batting .333 with three home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, and a stolen base in that stretch, as reported by Heavy. Over 120 games this season, he is batting .229 with 21 home runs, 25 doubles, 51 RBI, an OPS+ of 100, and 1.8 bWAR. Heavy also notes that if the injury is serious, Adames could be done for the year, and that Christian Koss would likely take his place if an IL stint is required.

Bericoto's Emergence and Team Depth Concerns

Bericoto's injury comes as he was carving out a larger role. The 24-year-old rookie had just returned from another stint on the injured list, having been sidelined with an oblique strain since July 10, per NBC Sports. He sustained that oblique injury during Thursday's game against the Rockies, and Grant McCray was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento in response. Bericoto's playing time had increased after the Giants traded Heliot Ramos to the Yankees, opening up outfield opportunities.

Bericoto is batting .293 with four home runs and one steal in 58 at-bats this season, according to NBC Sports. He has a 46.5% hard-hit rate and a 91.5% zone contact rate, and he had a three-game hitting streak entering Sunday's game, going 5-for-12 with three RBI. Over his last 10 games as a regular starter, he hit .378 (14-for-37). His absence could be significant, as the Giants are already missing Matt Chapman, Casey Schmitt, Daniel Susac, and Harrison Bader due to injuries, and they traded away Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos for prospects, leaving the roster stretched thin.

Game Details

The Giants built early leads, plating two runs in the first and another in the second, but the Red Sox chipped away. Rafael Devers walked and scored on a Bryce Eldridge single, with Adames scoring on a Bericoto single during the first inning. Jonah Cox hit a home run to lead off the second, his second career homer and first off a pitcher. The Red Sox scored one run in the second, one in the third, and three in the fourth to take control. Nick Sogard homered off Giants starter Matt Wilkinson to lead off the bottom of the second, and Jahmai Jones tripled to lead off the third, scoring on a Ceddanne Rafaela single. In the fourth, Sogard doubled and scored on Connor Wong's double, a call overturned after a Red Sox challenge. Wilkinson departed after that inning. Reliever JT Brubaker then allowed a run-scoring double to Mickey Gasper and a run-scoring single to Ceddanne Rafaela.

Manager Tony Vitello said his team played "gutty" throughout the weekend, as reported by MLB News. The crowd at Fenway Park was announced at 36,278. The loss and the injuries left a somber mood, with Adames summing it up: "That kind of year, huh?"