For the first time in their 124-season history, the New York Yankees have thrown back-to-back shutouts to start a season. The Yankees blanked the San Francisco Giants behind Max Fried on Wednesday (7-0) and Cam Schlittler on Friday (3-0) to begin the season 2-0. The Giants were one-hit Friday and are the first team ever with no runs and five or fewer hits in their first two games of a season.
Needless to say, this is not the start new Giants manager Tony Vitello envisioned to begin his MLB career. The former University of Tennessee head coach is still looking for his first big-league run, nevermind his first big-league win. He took the blame for the back-to-back shutout losses after Friday’s game and mentioned giving his team a “fire and brimstone” speech earlier this week.
“I’d kind of put it on me a little bit,” Vitello told reporters Friday (via The Athletic). “I got all fire and brimstone a few days ago, and I think some good words were shared, but I also think as of right now it’s a little emotional in there, and there are a lot of try-hards. Maybe it stems from that conversation prior to the season or maybe it stems from all the Opening Day fanfare, being the home team, but regardless, everybody wants it to change.”Â
Vitello added: “But there’s also a pressing need in there for some feel-good and also to want to perform for the fans. I saw it on our guys’ faces and also in their hands when they’re squeezing the bat. So to be honest with you, I’d blame myself. Maybe it’s time to do what I can to maybe ease any tension in there so guys can be free and go out there and play, because everybody on the field or in the stands know those guys can play that were in that lineup.”
There is a time and a place for impassioned “fire and brimstone” speeches, though maybe before Opening Day isn’t it. Vitello is not coaching college kids anymore. MLB players are grown men for the most part, and they’ve all demonstrated their dedication and internal motivation by simply reaching the big leagues. Yell at these guys, even in a positive way, and it won’t hit quite the same way.
At the end of the day, the Giants ran into two very good starting pitchers in Fried and Schlittler. It’s two games. Two games out of a 162-game season, not two games out of a 56-game college season. Vitello hinted at potential lineup changes for Saturday night’s series finale, and while tweaking the batting order is fine, wholesale lineup changes after two games would be an overreaction.
Vitello, 47, is the first person ever to jump straight from college to an MLB managerial job without any professional playing or coaching experience. After several stops as an assistant coach, he joined Tennessee in 2018 and guided the Volunteers to one of the greatest seasons ever in 2022 (57-9 with a plus-421 run differential). Tennessee won the program’s first National Championship in 2024.
The Giants have won 81, 79, 80, and 81 games in the last four years. The various projection systems have them in the 81-81 range again in 2026. The 0-2 start is San Francisco’s first since 2020.
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