How a pair of bizarre intentional walks jump-started Rafael Devers and the Red Sox
NEW YORK - If this season has taught us anything, there is clearly something about Rafael Devers and intentional walks.
At least in two instances now - with Saturday being the latest example - the maneuver by the Red Sox' opponent have served as a jumper cable for both the player and the team.
The most recent misguided strategy from the Sox' opposition came during Boston's much-needed, 7-1 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. That was when Yanks' starter Gerrit Cole chose to hold up four fingers with one out and nobody on in the top of the fourth inning, signaling the intention to walk Devers.
The move was certainly an unorthodox one considering the Yankees owned a 1-0 lead at the time and Devers had been 1-for-11 in his last three games with four strikeouts. But considering the Sox slugger owned eight home runs and a 1.369 OPS in his 47 plate appearances against Cole, there was some reasoning behind it.
The result was just what the doctored ordered ... for Devers and the Red Sox.
Devers, who was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat of the day, ultimately scored the first of three runs in the fourth inning. And in the fifth, he made Cole pay for pitching for him by collecting his first RBI since Sept. 4 as part of a four-run fifth.
HAHAHAHAHA pic.twitter.com/aDMXrJFZ5H
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) September 14, 2024
It wasn't the first time this season an intentional walk got Devers' bat going.
On May 11, Washington manager Davey Martinez decided to issue an intentional walk to Tyler O'Neill in order to get to Devers. The result was a pivotal two-run double and a Red Sox win. It was just the second time in the third baseman's career that Devers hit with the batter in front of him having been issued an intentional free pass.
From that point, Devers rattled off an 11-game hit streak while using the surge to finish the first half by hitting 19 homers and collecting a 1.009 OPS over a 57-game stretch.
It wasn't the be-all, end-all back in May, and probably won't be this time around either.
It certainly didn't hurt that starter Brayan Bello continued his dominance over the Yankees, having come into Saturday with a 2.66 ERA against New YOrk over seven starts. (This time Bello allowed 1 run over 5 1/3 innings.)
And the idea of Trevor Story (3 hits, stolen base) and Masa Yoshida (2 hits, 3 RBI) continue impacting the outcome is certainly a much-needed development as the days dwindle.
But the image before and after those intentional walks were striking. They are the kind of images this Red Sox team - with 13 games remaining - are something it desperately needs.
