SAN DIEGO — “Hope he don’t hit no homers.”
That was Xander Bogaerts‘ lighthearted response to a pregame question about facing his longtime teammate, close friend, and de facto little brother, Rafael Devers, for the first time since the former opted out of his Red Sox contract and signed with the San Diego Padres during the offseason.
“That’s a dangerous guy, you know, especially when he’s in that box. He’s truly one-of-a-kind, and hopefully he takes it a little light on us, because he can do damage.”
Devers respectfully declined by homering in each of his first two at-bats.
“Damage Done” is so 2018, but we’ll bring it out of retirement for such an occasion.
The Red Sox combined for eight hits and three walks, but it was the 26-year-old third baseman who got them on the board with a 381-ft solo shot in the second, and widened the gap with a 435-ft 3-run blast in the third, which paved the way to an eventual 6-1 victory.
Devers and his teammates got to Padres starter Blake Snell early. The 2018 AL Cy Young exited after four innings, charged with six runs. Opposing starters have only lasted six innings or longer eight times this year, and only one left-hander has made a quality start against Boston. With Friday’s victory, the Red Sox are 9-2 in their last 11 games against a lefty starter.
“Two great swings,” Alex Cora said of Devers’ handiwork. “Around him, everybody put good at-bats, that was impressive, the third inning.”
Connor Wong led off the third with a double, and Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner joined him on the bases with back-to-back walks, setting the stage for Rob Refsnyder to show the west coast why southpaw slayer. He ripped an RBI double to extend the lead to 3-0, then scored on Devers’ second round-tripper of the night.
Devers’ 151st and 152nd career regular-season home runs put him just four away from tying Bogaerts for 16th all-time in franchise history.
Bogaerts didn’t fare as well. In his first game against the franchise he’d belonged to since he was 16 years old, he went 0-for-4. The Padres were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and stranded five baserunners.
The former Boston shortstop’s early outs came at the hands, or rather arm, of James Paxton, who pitched six strong innings in his second start of the year, and only his third since April 2021. The 34-year-old southpaw held the Padres to five hits, two walks, and just one run, a third-inning solo homer by Fernando Tatis Jr. that went almost as far as Devers’ second blast. Thrice, the starter sat the Padres down 1-2-3.
“He had good stuff, but still working. I think as far as command, he was a little bit off, but velocity was good,” his manager said. “If this is what we’re going get every five days? I’m in.”
Red Sox starters have gone at least five innings in 21 of their last 22 games now. Paxton also extended the streak of starting pitchers recording five or more strikeouts and holding teams to no more than four runs to eight games.
Josh Winckowski took over and pitched three no-hit frames to seal the victory. After a one-out walk in the seventh, he retired the last seven batters of the night.
“That was huge, that was big for us,” Cora lauded. “Out there for three, stay away from everybody in the bullpen, we’re gonna be at full force tomorrow.”
Fittingly, this is Paxton’s first win since August 15, 2020, when he was a New York Yankee facing the team he pitches for now. It’s been a long road back for the veteran lefty, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021, then suffered a Grade 2 lat tear in his first rehab game last season, and began this year on the injured list.
“A lotta hard work, man. It’s been ups and downs, and I bet he’s been frustrated through the process, and what’s gonna happen next, and for him to come here and contribute and get that W, is huge,” Cora said.
Just as baseball is a game comprised of individual and collective achievements, Paxton’s comeback is both a personal and franchise success.
“It’s big for the organization, the people in Fort Myers, all the trainers here, the strength coaches, everybody has been with him through the whole process,” Cora explained. “He opted in, nobody thought that was gonna happen, and he decided to stay here because he trusts the process. He trusts the people here, and today, he got rewarded.”