SAN DIEGO — “Hope he don’t hit no homers.”
That was Xander Bogaerts‘ lighthearted response to a pregame query about dealing with his longtime teammate, shut buddy, and de facto little brother, Rafael Devers, for the primary time because the former opted out of his Red Sox contract and signed with the San Diego Padres throughout the offseason.
“That’s a dangerous guy, you know, especially when he’s in that box. He’s truly one-of-a-kind, and hopefully he takes it a little light on us, because he can do damage.”
Devers respectfully declined by homering in every of his first two at-bats.
“Damage Done” is so 2018, however we’ll carry it out of retirement for such an event.
The Red Sox mixed for eight hits and three walks, nevertheless it was the 26-year-old third baseman who acquired them on the board with a 381-ft solo shot within the second, and widened the hole with a 435-ft 3-run blast within the third, which paved the way in which to an eventual 6-1 victory.
Devers and his teammates acquired to Padres starter Blake Snell early. The 2018 AL Cy Young exited after 4 innings, charged with six runs. Opposing starters have solely lasted six innings or longer eight instances this yr, and just one left-hander has made a top quality begin towards Boston. With Friday’s victory, the Red Sox are 9-2 of their final 11 video games towards a lefty starter.
“Two great swings,” Alex Cora stated of Devers’ handiwork. “Around him, everybody put good at-bats, that was impressive, the third inning.”
Connor Wong led off the third with a double, and Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner joined him on the bases with back-to-back walks, setting the stage for Rob Refsnyder to point out the west coast why southpaw slayer. He ripped an RBI double to increase the result in 3-0, then scored on Devers’ second round-tripper of the evening.
Devers’ 151st and 152nd profession regular-season residence runs put him simply 4 away from tying Bogaerts for sixteenth all-time in franchise historical past.
Bogaerts didn’t fare as properly. In his first recreation towards the franchise he’d belonged to since he was 16 years outdated, he went 0-for-4. The Padres had been 0-for-3 with runners in scoring place and stranded 5 baserunners.
The former Boston shortstop’s early outs got here by the hands, or somewhat arm, of James Paxton, who pitched six robust innings in his second begin of the yr, and solely his third since April 2021. The 34-year-old southpaw held the Padres to 5 hits, two walks, and only one run, a third-inning solo homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. that went virtually so far as Devers’ second blast. Thrice, the starter sat the Padres down 1-2-3.
“He had good stuff, but still working. I think as far as command, he was a little bit off, but velocity was good,” his supervisor stated. “If this is what we’re going get every five days? I’m in.”
Red Sox starters have gone not less than 5 innings in 21 of their final 22 video games now. Paxton additionally prolonged the streak of beginning pitchers recording 5 or extra strikeouts and holding groups to not more than 4 runs to eight video games.
Josh Winckowski took over and pitched three no-hit frames to seal the victory. After a one-out stroll within the seventh, he retired the final seven batters of the evening.
“That was huge, that was big for us,” Cora lauded. “Out there for three, stay away from everybody in the bullpen, we’re gonna be at full force tomorrow.”
Fittingly, that is Paxton’s first win since August 15, 2020, when he was a New York Yankee dealing with the group he pitches for now. It’s been a protracted highway again for the veteran lefty, who underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in April 2021, then suffered a Grade 2 lat tear in his first rehab recreation final season, and commenced this yr on the injured listing.
“A lotta hard work, man. It’s been ups and downs, and I bet he’s been frustrated through the process, and what’s gonna happen next, and for him to come here and contribute and get that W, is huge,” Cora stated.
Just as baseball is a recreation comprised of particular person and collective achievements, Paxton’s comeback is each a private and franchise success.
“It’s big for the organization, the people in Fort Myers, all the trainers here, the strength coaches, everybody has been with him through the whole process,” Cora defined. “He opted in, nobody thought that was gonna happen, and he decided to stay here because he trusts the process. He trusts the people here, and today, he got rewarded.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com