Rafael Devers and the Red Sox have picked up where they left off.
The Red Sox third baseman hit a first-inning home run Friday in Boston’s Opening Day matchup with the New York Yankees, and his blast represented a remarkable feat in team history. Citing the fine folks at Elias Sports Bureau, Red Sox senior manager of media relations and baseball information J.P. Long offered this golden nugget:
“Rafael Devers is the first Red Sox player ever to homer in his final plate appearance of a regular season, then homer in his first plate appearance of the ensuing regular season,” Long wrote in a tweet.
Devers on Oct. 3 hit a ninth-inning, two-run moonshot, which helped the Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 7-5 in their final game of the regular season and clinch a spot in the American League Wild Card Game. Devers’ home run was his 38th of his remarkable 2021 campaign.
