The San Francisco Giants are making a significant adjustment to their baserunning philosophy after being swept in consecutive series by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at Oracle Park highlighted many of the issues that have plagued San Francisco throughout the season, with two costly baserunning mistakes in the eighth inning helping extinguish a potential game-tying rally.

Manager Tony Vitello addressed those mistakes directly Thursday morning, outlining a more structured approach moving forward.

“Moving on from the green light and just having a flat-out steal sign was kind of the conversation,” Vitello said on KNBR 104.5 / 680’s Murph and Markus. “The green light is something that has probably been dished out pretty liberally… you’ve got the freedom to do what you want to do.”

The pivotal sequence began when Willy Adames, representing the tying run, was thrown out at home plate attempting to score from second base on a base hit. Moments later, Luis Arraez was picked off second base, ending the inning entirely and eliminating any remaining comeback hopes.

Following the game, Vitello explained that the Giants are planning to scale back the freedom players have traditionally been given on the bases.

“We’d like to push the envelope a little bit and flat out take it off the players’ shoulders and put it more on ours,” Vitello noted. “If you get thrown out, it’s our fault.”

Rather than relying heavily on green-light decisions made by individual players, the coaching staff intends to take greater ownership of those situations by issuing more direct steal signs and baserunning instructions.

Vitello explained that the goal is not to eliminate aggressiveness. Instead, the organization wants to remove some of the split-second decision-making burden from players and place more responsibility on the coaching staff.

He indicated that if a baserunning decision backfires, the responsibility should fall on the coaches rather than the players.

The move comes as the Giants continue struggling to maximize scoring opportunities.

San Francisco has been thrown out on the bases 18 times this season, tied for the fifth-highest total in Major League Baseball according to Sportradar. The Giants have attempted only 20 stolen bases, the fewest in the league, while their 70 percent success rate ranks tied for 26th.

For a team sitting at 22-34 and already battling offensive inconsistency, those lost opportunities have become increasingly costly.

The decision involving Adames also placed renewed attention on third base coach Hector Borg, who has faced scrutiny previously this season. A late-game situation against the Philadelphia Phillies in April generated similar criticism after a runner was held at third base when many believed he could have scored.

Vitello defended Borg when asked about the position directly, emphasizing the organization’s confidence in him and noting that the Giants highly value his contributions.

What will change, however, is the process.

The Giants are moving away from a system built around player discretion on the bases and toward one where the coaching staff assumes a larger role in making those decisions. With San Francisco searching for answers during a difficult season, the organization hopes a more structured approach can help eliminate some of the mistakes that have repeatedly cost the club valuable opportunities.

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