Giants get fired up for Mexico City games with lucha libre wrestling event

MEXICO CITY — The San Francisco Giants may have found the best possible way to get fired up for the first-ever regular-season baseball game in Mexico City. 

Lucha libre.

Sergio Romo organized a trip for many of the Giants to see the colorful masked-wrestler extravaganza on Friday night, and he told the players that the ambiance — loud and lively — would be similar to what they’ll find this weekend against the Padres at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.

“It was really, really cool and an awesome cultural experience,” outfielder Mike Yastrzemski said. “The energy of that crowd was so fun and infectious so it was something that hopefully we kind of feel here this weekend. We know it will be a really fun atmosphere.”

Reliever John Brebbia said the most prominent of the wrestlers was Mistico, so the Giants wound up rooting for him. 

“Whenever the crowd seemed to get fired up for someone, that’s when I decided to get fired up,” Brebbia said. “Mistico was the go-to guy, he got uproarious applause when he came out. So we jumped on that apparently.”

“Mistico is the man,” Yastrzemski agreed.

Most of the Giants know at least some Spanish, especially the words recommended to yell when they entered.

“Before we walked in, they asked if we knew any inappropriate words in Spanish, to which we were like, ‘Oh, yeah, some,’ ” Brebbia said. “And the guy’s like, ‘Well, that’s what you say in here.’ So I’d love to tell you what I said, but it’s not going to be too great.

“I tried to repeat a lot of what the crowd said, which was a lot of fun. I’m sure I butchered it. I can’t imagine anything was understandable. But I wore my voice out a little bit. That was a blast.”

Brebbia also took in the city’s magnificent Museo Nacional de Antropología on Friday.

“It was fun to just walk around seeing the city, and the street with the museum is just beautiful, with massive sidewalks and trees,” Brebbia said. “The museum is great, but it’s so huge. About halfway through, my brain started to hurt and my legs were tired.”

Asked which of his players might make the best luchadores, manager Gabe Kapler suggested either member of his starting battery, Sean Manaea (for his size) and Blake Sabol (for his big personality). 

Pederson brothers at Play Ball event: Giants outfielder Joc Pederson and his brother, Champ, participated in MLB’s Play Ball event with a group of about 100 children with Down Syndrome. 

“It was awesome, the kids were great,” said Joc Pederson, who attends many such events with his brother, who has Down Syndrome. “I really enjoyed it.”

The event benefited the John Langdon Down Foundation, and MLB Charities also made a contribution in order to help the organizations work with those who have Down Syndrome. After the baseball and softball clinic for the children, they all attended the game.

Kapler’s travels: Kapler, who had an adventure getting to the park for Friday’s workout and news conferences, took the team bus Saturday. “You make adjustments,” he said with a smile. 

Kapler’s roundabout route to the ballpark Friday wasn’t his only interesting experience with public transit. He planned to see Spanish pop star RosalÍa’s free concert at the Zócalo in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico, but the subway was jam-packed. 

“There was no room on the train, so there are a few people who are really savvy and they’re like, running-back style, pushing through the line and getting on the train but I didn’t quite feel confident enough to do that,” Kapler said. “So I wound up pivoting and walked to my second taco spot and got tacos and a cerveza, and that turned out to be equally rewarding. All of that stuff is really fun.” 

Briefly: Kapler said that catcher Joey Bart (groin) was available Saturday, but might tone it down running the bases if he got into the game. … Blake Sabol was at catcher. Without Bart available Thursday, Sabol caught the game against the Cardinals while sick. “I battled through it,” he said. He stayed in Friday night as a result, got a massage and went to bed. He was feeling much better Saturday. … An extra player was allowed for the Mexico City series, so the Giants added utility player Brett Wisely. 

Reach Susan Slusser: sslusser@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @susanslusser