Fastball

Boston Red Sox Star Rafael Devers Breaks Seat at Fenway Park With 115 MPH Home Run

Rafael Devers gave the Boston Red Sox an early lead over the Kansas City Royals with a two-run homer on Sunday, but the bomb did more damage than the runs it put on the board.
Sam Connon|
Jun 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) hits a two run home run against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Fenway Park.
Jun 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) hits a two run home run against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Fenway Park. | David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red SoxKansas City Royals

Back in 2018, Rafael Devers' first full season in the big leagues, the Boston Red Sox introduced a popular slogan: Do Damage.

Boston did plenty of damage that year, winning a franchise-record 108 regular season games en route to claiming their ninth World Series championship.

Six years later, Devers doesn't seem to have put that mantra behind him. On top of that, he might be taking it a little too literally.

Devers stepped up to the plate in the first inning of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals, who had already taken a 1-0 lead over the Red Sox in the top of the frame. With two down and a man on third, Devers had a shot to erase that early deficit.

The third baseman converted on the opportunity, cranking a low and inside slider 439 feet to right. Devers kept it just inside the foul pole, putting Boston on top 2-1 with a two-run home run.

With a 114.7 mile-per-hour exit velocity, it marked Devers' fastest home run of the season.

Soon after, the Fenway Park facilities team discovered a seat had been broken. In their summary of what happened, which was shared by the Red Sox on social media, the staff zeroed in on a culprit.

"Devers home run ball hit so hard it broke the back of the chair," it read.

Some fans suggested the repair costs should come out of Devers' next paycheck, since it likely wouldn't make a dent in his $313.5 million contract. Others wanted the broken panel to get auctioned off or awarded to Devers himself.

Devers is currently 2-for-3 with a double, home run and two RBI on the afternoon. The Red Sox lead the Royals 4-3 through six innings.

Entering the All-Star break, Devers is batting .295 with 23 home runs, 61 RBI, a .975 OPS and a 3.3 WAR. While lingering injuries will prevent him from taking part in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, Devers was still voted to his third All-Star Game in the last four years.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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