Devers’ extended home run trot triggers bench-clearing brawl, resulting in the longest home run trot in history.

Kyle Freeland, the left-handed starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, maintained that Giants slugger Rafael Devers delayed excessively while circling the bases on his two-run home run in the opening inning at Coors Field.

Following the bench and bullpen clearing and ensuing shoving, after umpires and players from both teams separated the heated arguers and the dispute continued with distant shouting, Devers finally completed his trot — eight minutes after his 397-foot blast landed in the right-field stands, giving the Giants a two-run lead.

It was a chaotic start to the game, which ended with the San Francisco Giants (70-69) winning 7-4; they have now won nine of their last ten games and have returned above .500 for the first time since August 9.

The melee led to the ejections of Freeland and Giants infielders Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, with Adames being thrown out before even having a chance at an at-bat on his 30th birthday.

After Devers crushed Freeland’s sweeping slider to right-field stands on a 0-2 count, he staggered back a few steps, then took a few strides toward first base while tracking the ball’s flight. He then dropped his bat and began rounding the bases, while Freeland shouted at him and gestured with his glove to hurry up.

Devers shouted back loudly before reaching first base. After touching the bag, he started moving toward Freeland.

Players then rushed onto the field, with Chapman and Adames among the first to arrive. Chapman escalated the situation by shoving Freeland. Rockies first baseman Kyle Farmer was the first to assist umpires in separating players. Most players headed toward second base, while Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer pulled Freeland away.

Just as calm seemed to return, Freeland was held back in the Rockies’ dugout by bench coach Clint Hurdle, but Adames broke free from the crowd and started yelling at Freeland. The argument continued, but Giants bench coach Ryan Christenson successfully restrained Adames.

Freeland returned to the mound, after which umpire-in-chief Dan Bellino announced the ejections of Freeland, Chapman, and Adames.

Right-hander Antonio Senzatela replaced Freeland on the mound, and Devers was ultimately permitted by the umpires to finish his delayed base-running. Had Devers been ejected before completing his home run trot, an unusual precedent exists: on September 26, 2008, Bengie Molina hit what appeared to be a single and was replaced by pinch runner Emmanuel Burriss, but replay review confirmed it was actually a home run. Molina was not allowed back to complete the trot, meaning he was credited with a home run and two RBIs but did not score a run.

The Giants did not have to play without Devers, but they were forced to continue the game missing two key position players. Casey Schmitt, initially left off San Francisco’s starting lineup after being hit on the right elbow yesterday, took Adames’ spot in the batting order and stayed in the game at second base, while Christian Koss moved to shortstop.

Dominic Smith pinch-hit for Chapman and then took over at first base, while Devers shifted to third base, marking his first time playing that position this season.

The Giants continued to rely on power hitting for the rest of the night, with Schmitt and Wilmer Flores each hitting home runs off Senzatela and Angel Chivilli in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 5-1.

Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer off José Buttó in the bottom of the seventh inning, cutting the deficit to 5-4, but the Giants responded in the next half-inning with Patrick Bailey blasting a two-run homer off Jaden Hill to extend the lead again.