FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – MARCH 14: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of a Grapefruit League spring training game at Hammond Stadium on March 14, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Michael King threw Rafael Devers one too many fastballs, and the young right-hander paid the price dearly. The Red Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Devers had no problem catching up to that fastball, clocked at just under 95 MPH. The Red Sox get the benefit of facing the bottom of the Yankees rotation this weekend, as New York desperately could use a series win after dropping a few games to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic absolutely destroyed an attempt from King to get out of the inning into the upper deck in right field.
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Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi gets early 3-run lead against Yankees
Eovaldi has always been one of the harder throwers in the game, but this season he’s mixing int he curveball nicely as a stabilizing force at the top of Boston’s rotation.
The Red Sox entered this series just 2.5 games behind the Rays atop the AL East. If Boston can take advantage of the Yankees’ recent struggles, then perhaps they can make up a game or two over the weekend.
Devers now has 14 home runs on the season, and is hitting just a shade under .280.