SAN FRANCISCO -- The Rafael Devers revenge tour is on.
Six days after being acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Red Sox, Devers launched his first home run for the Giants -- against his former team, no less.
Devers drove an 0-1 fastball from Boston right-hander Brayan Bello -- his close friend and fellow Dominican Republic native -- out to left field for a two-run, opposite-field shot that powered the Giants to a 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park.
“I feel really happy,” Devers said in Spanish. “The most important thing is that I was able to contribute to the win. I’m going to give my 100 percent and keep trying to help the team win.”
Heliot Ramos opened the scoring with a first-inning solo shot off Bello before Devers padded San Francisco’s lead with his milestone blast in the bottom of the third. Devers’ 16th home run of the year traveled a Statcast-projected 370 feet and came off his bat at 105.5 mph, drawing raucous cheers from the 39,027 fans in attendance.
“I think you’ve seen that plenty in the past with the Red Sox,” Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski said on Wednesday. “He’s the type of guy that can be the face of a franchise so easily. His talent is through the roof. His bat speed’s insane. His decision-making is as good as it comes. That’s just what you hope for in the middle of the lineup on any given day.”
Devers crushed his final home run for the Red Sox against the Yankees on Sunday, hours before he was traded to the Giants in exchange for left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, 2024 first-round Draft pick James Tibbs III and pitching prospect Jose Bello. After going deep for San Francisco on Saturday, Devers became the ninth player in MLB history to homer for and against the same team in the span of seven days, according to Stats, LLC.
“It was almost like a little weight fell off his shoulders when he hit that ball,” said right-hander Landen Roupp, who earned the win after giving up only three hits over six scoreless innings. “We expect many more from him in that area. Really excited to have him on the team. I think he’s going to be a huge help.”
Devers said homering against the Red Sox was “nothing special,” though he had to set aside some emotions while facing Bello, who was his teammate for four seasons in Boston.
“He’s my brother, but we know that once we cross the lines on the field, it’s a different story,” Devers said. “We’re just competing, and whoever wins, wins.”
“A very good friend,” Bello said of Devers. “He was always there for me when I went through struggles. And he was always there with advice and is a very good friend.
“I felt good. I attacked him, he hit a home run, but I was able to get him out twice. He's a very good hitter.”
Devers is now 4-for-20 with a double and three RBIs in his first five games with the Giants. The 28-year-old slugger went 0-for-5 in the club’s 7-5 series-opening loss to the Red Sox on Friday night, though he just missed clearing the fences in the third inning, when he sent a 385-foot drive to left-center-field that was caught in front of the wall by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
Devers’ impressive opposite-field power earned him plenty of extra-base hits off the Green Monster at Fenway Park, though he said he doesn’t plan to alter his approach now that he’ll be playing his home games at the less-than-hitter-friendly Oracle Park.
“I don’t have to change anything,” Devers said on Friday. “If I make good contact, I know the ball is going to go out, regardless of the stadium. I’m a hitter with a lot of power.”
Roupp exited after throwing 90 pitches and departed with a 3-0 lead, though the Red Sox rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth before closer Camilo Doval coaxed a groundout from Romy Gonzalez to leave a runner stranded on third and end the game.
The most chaotic week of Devers’ career will conclude with a rubber match against his former team on Sunday, but the Giants are hoping their new star will be able to close the book on his dramatic ending with the Red Sox after that and continue to focus on settling into his new home in San Francisco.
“He never looks like anything affects him since he’s been here,” manager Bob Melvin said. “There was so much going on in his life. He goes from Boston to here in a trade and then today. There’s just so much going on, and he’s looked comfortable from the very beginning about being here and happy. He’s been the same guy the entire time.”