Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers. (John Jones-USA TODAY Sports)
No one enjoys an at-bat against Gerrit Cole quite like Rafael Devers and Red Sox fans took the opportunity to crown the 3B after a win over the Yankees.
Gerrit Cole was 7-0 going into Friday night’s series opener against the Red Sox. But everyone knew he had cause for concern because of one player: Rafael Devers.
The Yankees pitcher may be one of the best in the league, but the Red Sox third baseman has him figured out. And on Friday night, Devers proved that was still very much the case.
Cole took his first loss of the year as Boston won the game 3-2. The pitcher allowed seven hits over six innings, conceding two runs. Devers accounted for two of those hits and both of the runs.
Red Sox fans couldn’t get enough of Devers owning Cole.
Red Sox fans thrive off Rafael Devers supremacy over Gerrit Cole
Devers hit a double in the fourth and made his way home on a Triston Casas RBI single to open the scoring. Then in the sixth he got a hold of a 90 mph changeup, sending it 405 feet for a home run to make it 2-0.
That home run was his seventh against Cole in his career. That’s twice as many homers vs. Cole than Devers has against any other pitcher he has faced in his career, per ESPN Stats & Info. As you’d expect, those seven home runs and 16 RBI are the most Cole has given up to a single player in his career.
The win for the Red Sox couldn’t have come at a better time. Nestor Cortes had the audacity to claim the rivalry between Boston and New York was lesser than the ones against the Rays or the Blue Jays. So fans were already a bit feisty.
It also hasn’t been the easiest time for Boston recently. Their pitching staff is a mess and they just found out Chris Sale will be out for most of the season.
A win over the Yankees cures all ills.