Boston Red Sox: Rafael Devers has found his swag at the plate
The Boston Red Sox won their third-straight game on Friday, propelled by a three-run home run from the suddenly hot Rafael Devers.
The Boston Red Sox have been displaying signs of life at the plate as of late.
A 12-game hitting streak and most consistent bat has belonged to Alex Verdugo. And Mitch Moreland leads the team in home runs and runs batted in. It is Rafael Devers, however, that is carrying the hottest stick as of late for the Red Sox.
Much like this season in general, things were looking bleak for Devers only ten games ago. Batting .169, this slump by Devers had the markings of a season-long affair with struggles.
While the outlook for the Red Sox hasn’t improved immensely, Devers has woken up at the plate. The fourth-year third baseman has hit safely in nine of his last ten games. This includes four multi-hit performances, two of which were three-hit affairs against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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Better yet, the Red Sox have won three in a row. Sure, this stretch might be the most excitement the team provides in 2020 but it’s nice to know Boston is now only seven games out from a playoff spot. (I mean, one can dream. They’ve managed climb the standings, now with a better record than two teams in the American League so that’s a start.)
Help is definitely not on the way for the beleaguered pitching staff as Boston traded away relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree on Friday. The offense is waking up, though, and should at least keep games interesting if they continue to perform.
Devers is shouldering his fair share of the load and is still a major factor in the franchise’s future. Thanks to a .350 batting average (14-40) in this span, his average jumped to .240. Devers has also cut down on his strikeouts over the last ten games, doing so only five times.
His home run tonight was his fourth and he’s now driven in 14, nine of which have happened during this hot streak.
A year after hitting 32 home runs and driving in 115 with an OPS of .916, expectations were pretty grand for Devers in 2020. There has been a lot of pressure for the offense to carry this year’s team. Verdugo, Moreland, and Xander Bogaerts have been rising above so far. Now, Devers appears to be on track in joining them.
Next. Boston Red Sox: More proof Rafael Devers is a star on the rise. dark
With the season nearly half way complete, it might be a case of “too-little, too-late”, but it’s nice to know that if this keeps up, the Red Sox and Devers can at least make games interesting the rest of the way.