Inside The Red Sox

Alex Cora Declares Red Sox Are 'About To Take Off' After Rafael Devers' Heroics

And fans just hope he's right...
Jackson Roberts|
May 17, 2025; 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. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
May 17, 2025; 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. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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Following Rafael Devers' heroics, the Boston Red Sox are hoping to quickly turn the page.

It was a dramatic Saturday night at Fenway Park, in which the Red Sox erased deficits of 5-0 and 6-2 to capture a 7-6 win on Devers' solo home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth. The first walk-off of Devers' career ended a four-game losing streak and put Boston within a game of .500.

To say the Red Sox needed a moment like the one Devers provided them with is a massive understatement. They were previously 4-12 in one-run games, having lost their last eight such contests in a row. They also entered the day trailing the New York Yankees by five games in the American League East.

Manager Alex Cora wasn't overlooking just how clutch Devers' moment was. The designated hitter got a 2-1 hanging curveball from Braves reliever Pierce Johnson and crushed it 402 feet into the Boston bullpen.

“We needed that one,” Cora said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “The big boy got a pitch he was able to handle and put a great swing on it.”

On Sunday, the Red Sox will go for the series win over the Atlanta Braves. And their skipper is hoping Devers' big swing helped turn the tide,

“We're about to see,” said Cora, per Browne. “It’s only one night. I don't want to get too excited about it, but the record is a record, and we know we have a good team. It's 5-[12] in one-run games, but you can see it both ways, right? Like, ‘Oh, they cannot finish games,’ or, ‘They're about to take off.’ And I see it that way. I better see it that way, right?”

It's all up to the Red Sox from here, and Sunday will be a potential pivot point in their season. First pitch, at 1:35 p.m., is only a little over 15 hours since the Devers home run touched earth.

Momentum is everything in Major League Baseball. Let's see if the Red Sox can find some.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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