Fastball

Rafael Devers Rides Big Day into Boston Red Sox History Books

The Red Sox throttled the Orioles 19-5 on Friday afternoon as Rafael Devers popped two home runs and drove in eight.

Brady Farkas

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) hits a grand slam during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on May 18.
Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) hits a grand slam during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on May 18. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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The Boston Red Sox throttled the Baltimore Orioles 19-5 on Friday afternoon in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.

With the win, the Red Sox are back at .500 (26-26) while the Orioles fell to a disappointing 16-33.

Red Sox' designated hitter Rafael Devers fueled the offensive outburst, going 4-for-6 with two home runs and eight RBIs. One of those home runs was a grand slam.

According to @SoxNotes, Devers is now in an extremely rare group of history over his last 25 games.

Rafael Devers is only the 5th Red Sox player ever with at least 10 HR, 30 RBI, and a .500 OBP over any 25-game span:

Rafael Devers
Ted Williams
Jimmie Foxx
Manny Ramírez
Mo Vaughn

The 28-year-old slugger is hitting .299 with 12 homers and 47 RBIs, making him one of the most productive players in baseball. Despite his public stance against moving to first base, he's been an irreplaceable part of the roster.

A nine-year veteran, Devers is a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger. He also helped Boston win the 2018 World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He signed a 10-year extension that kicked in before the 2024 season and is one of the highest-paid players in the league at $313.5 million.

Boston and Baltimore will play Game 2 of the doubleheader on Friday night with first pitch coming at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will send right-hander Lucas Giolito to the mound. He's 1-1 with a 7.08 ERA since coming off the injured list.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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