Devers has a grand outing
The Yankees aren’t the only team with young studs in this rivalry.
A night after Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres were difference-makers in a Yankees victory, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers sent a loud 356-foot reminder those pinstriped rookies aren’t alone. And he was only getting started.
The 21-year-old cranked a two-out, opposite-field grand slam in the first inning to put the Red Sox on the board, the first of his career-high five hits that sparked an 11-0 Red Sox win over the Yankees on Saturday night in The Bronx.
“[Friday] I didn’t have a great game. Today I had a great game,” Devers said through an interpreter. “I don’t focus too much on [Andujar’s and Torres’] stats and what they do. They obviously had great games [Friday], but I just focus on doing my own thing, coming here and doing what I can to help us win.”
The baby-faced Devers ended the game 5for-5 with three runs scored and finished a triple shy of the cycle — he never has tripled in 139 career games. He came within a few inches of another home run in the seventh inning, but the ball tipped off Aaron Judge’s glove, onto the top of the right-field wall and back into play, forcing Devers to settle for a double.
“We’re very proud of him,” manager Alex Cora said. “I’ve been saying all along, we take him for granted because he’s talented and he did what he did last year, but he’s still a kid.”
Devers’ long ball put him in exclusive company in the rivalry. He became the youngest player, at 21 years, 249 days, to hit a grand slam in a Red Sox-Yankees game, according to STATS. The previous record holders were two guys by the names of Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio.
After providing some thump as a midseason call-up least year, Devers has struggled at times during his sophomore campaign. He entered Saturday batting .239 with a .708 OPS, but Cora cited a reworked, quieter stance that has Devers heating up (he’s now at .251 and .741) to add another impact bat to the Red Sox lineup.
“I just feel normal,” Devers said. “If it were [against] any other team, I’d feel exactly the same way.”
It was just last week, in speaking with the Boston Herald, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski shot down speculation the Red Sox could trade Devers for the likes of Manny Machado. Nights like Saturday show why.
“He’s getting used to it now,” Cora said. “He knows he’s a big leaguer and he’s a very important part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”