Red Sox
It was a quiet night for the slugger.
After a week of buildup and anticipation surrounding Rafael Devers’ first matchup against his former team, the former Red Sox star ended up going hitless Friday night in San Francisco.
Devers finished 0 for 5 as the Giants’ designated hitter, grounding out twice, flying out twice, and striking out. The Red Sox won, 7-5, erasing multiple deficits before a Ceddanne Rafaela blast in the sixth put Boston ahead for good.
In his first at-bat, after a standing ovation from both Giants and Red Sox fans, Devers aggressively swung at the first pitch and (ironically) grounded out to first. Abraham Toro briefly bobbled it before recovering to flip it to Hunter Dobbins for the out.
“I think two wishes can be true at the same time, Will [Middlebrooks],” Red Sox announcer Dave O’Brien said. “I wish Raffy Devers was hitting for the Red Sox tonight. I also wish that he agreed to pick up a glove and play first base when he was asked to.”
His second at-bat was slightly more dramatic, as Devers belted a 2-2 pitch to left-center field that nearly floated over the fence for a home run.
Instead, it ended up dying just a few feet short, where Rafaela leaped up and deprived Devers of a likely double.
In the fifth inning, with the Giants down one, Devers slapped one up the middle that almost certainly would have been a hit if the Red Sox hadn’t been in exactly the right position.
Trevor Story ranged to his left, just past second base, and quickly threw to first. Devers hustled down the line, but Toro managed to barely keep his foot on the bag to record the out.
Devers flied out to Rafaela again in the seventh.
Finally, with one out in the ninth and his team down two runs, Devers struck out on a 102-mile-per-hour Aroldis Chapman fastball to end a quiet night.
Sign up for Red Sox updates⚾
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during baseball season.