Red Sox Notes: Boston Squanders Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts’ Success

The Red Sox may have missed the playoffs, but two players continue to reach milestones as the 2019 season comes to a close.

Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts were two of the only Boston batters to find any success in Boston’s 4-1 loss Friday night to the Baltimore Orioles. And most of their success came in the final frame.

Devers collected hit No. 197 of the season with a ninth-inning double, breaking Bogaerts’ previous record of 196 before turning 23-years-old.

Bogaerts made a little history of his own in the ninth, knocking in run No. 500 of his career with a single to center field.

Devers and Bogaerts are neck-and-neck for the most doubles on the team this season with 53 and 52, respectively. (Both recorded a double during Friday’s contest.)  In fact, Devers recorded more doubles this season than any other Red Sox third baseman in history.

It’s a shame the season these two have put together has to go to waste. The pair would have been a blast to watch in the postseason considering the success they’ve both found in 2019, and it certainly would have been a nice reward for all they’ve achieved during what has been a dismal season for the Sox.

Both players will prove pivotal for Boston moving forward, especially with players like Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez in a position to move on during the offseason, should they so choose. And with Dave Dombrowski out as the Sox’s president of baseball operations, anything can happen this offseason.

For now, however, Red Sox fans will have to have some patience until we know what next season will bring.

Here are some more notes from Friday’s Red Sox-Orioles game:

— The Orioles are just one team to cause the Sox some trouble this season.

Baltimore has the third-most 10-plus strikeout games against the Sox this season with six. The Tampa Bay Rays lead all teams with 13, followed by the New York Yankees with seven.

— Here’s a weird coincidence for ya.

For the first time since April 2010, the Orioles had two batters walked three or more times through nine frames. The last time that happened was against — you guessed it — the Red Sox.

— Asher Wojciechowski didn’t have much success in 2019, but did find some against the Red Sox.

The righty allowed just two earned runs in three appearances (18 innings total) against Boston this season. The 30-year-old allowed 43 earned runs to score through 14 appearances and 64 1/3 innings pitched.

— The Red Sox play the penultimate game of their 2019 schedule Saturday, with Jhoulys Chacin slated to take the mound. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.