Giving opposing pitchers nightmares in the batter’s box isn’t anything new for Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers.
But when the Red Sox whipped out the brooms on the Toronto Blue Jays to close out their four-game series at Fenway Park, Devers not only went yard, but also hit a new career milestone.
In the eigth inning, Devers crushed a two-run home run off Blue Jays reliever Zach Pop to push Boston’s lead over Toronto to 11-4, redeeming his at-bat in the second inning in which the 26-year-old fell just inches short of clearing the right field wall of what would’ve been the first of two round-trippers. But it only took one for Devers to reached No. 150 of his career.
Devers only took 721 games to reach the 150-homer mark, which was the third fewest — behind Ted Williams (664 games) and Jim Rice (711 games) –in Red Sox history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Devers is now third in the leaderboards for most home runs hit with the Red Sox before turning 27 years old, trailing Rice (172) for the all-time franchise lead.
“I’m super proud of that new milestone that I have achieved but I’m just hoping to keep hitting home runs and keep driving in runs and helping the team win,” Devers said through a translator, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “… We’re just gonna keep playing the way we know how to.”
Devers finished the night 3-for-5 with four RBIs, and still leads the American League in home runs (11).
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have now won six in a row.
