Boston Red Sox Star Rafael Devers Caps Off Comeback With 1st Career Walk-Off Home Run

Rafael Devers stayed hot against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, powering the Boston Red Sox to a wild win with the first walk-off home run of his accomplished career.

Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers (11) hits a walk off home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Rafael Devers had already left his mark on Saturday night's contest between the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves by the time he stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth.

But with the lights at their brightest and the fans on their feet, the star slugger made sure to come through in the clutch.

Devers doubled in the third, walked in the fifth and hit an RBI single in the seventh. That run-scoring knock helped the Red Sox crawl out of what was once a 5-0 hole, all while Jarren Duran's two-RBI single in the eighth tied the score at 6-6.

After Aroldis Chapman blanked the Braves in the top of the ninth, Devers was tasked with leading off the bottom of the frame against Pierce Johnson. The 28-year-old swung at a curveball in the dirt, then watched two pitches miss the zone high and away.

Johnson finally gave Devers something to hit, and that's exactly what he did. Devers cranked the hanging curveball 107.3 miles per hour off the bat, sending it 402 feet to right.

Devers, a three-time All-Star on a $313.5 million contract, had never hit a walk-off home run entering Saturday's action. That 1,026-game drought finally came to a close, and Devers celebrated with a cartoonish bat-flip.

His teammates also crowned him with the Wally Helmet, which came out for a walk-off for the first time since its introduction earlier this season.

RAFAEL DEVERS WANTS THE WALLY HELMET! #WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/ou0RLfYAq9

— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2025

Devers opened the season on an 0-for-19 skid with 15 strikeouts. A few weeks later, he got into a public disagreement with the Red Sox's front office when he refused to replace the injured Triston Casas at first base.

And yet, the third baseman-turned-designated hitter has been one of the most productive players in baseball as of late. Devers has hit .318 with a .983 OPS since April 1, recording all eight of his home runs and 33 of his 34 RBIs in his last 42 games.

Devers and the Red Sox will take on the Braves in a rubber match on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

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