For the first five games of the season, Rafael Devers couldn’t buy a hit. The Boston Red Sox slugger was mired in an 0-for-21 slump with a staggering 15 strikeouts, drawing concern from fans and frustration across the lineup. But on Wednesday night at Camden Yards, Devers finally delivered — and the weight of the world seemed to lift.
Devers went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a single in Boston’s 3-0 win over the Orioles, providing both relief and production at a much-needed time. The double came in the fifth inning off Orioles starter Zach Eflin, a 109.5 mph liner to right field that scored Ceddanne Rafaela and extended Boston’s lead to 3-0. The crowd — filled with Red Sox fans — gave Devers a standing ovation.
“I enjoy it a lot,” Devers said through interpreter Carlos Villoria-Benítez. “It makes me happy, seeing that reaction, because that makes me see that they’re paying attention to my at-bat and they’re supporting me.”
Devers added a single in the eighth inning and didn’t strike out once, a noticeable shift after striking out three or more times in four of the team’s first six games. While Devers insisted he wasn’t worried about the slump, manager Alex Cora admitted the breakthrough was much needed — for everyone.
Rafael Devers gets his first hit in Red Sox win over Orioles
“We all needed that one,” Cora said. “The at-bats are getting better. He walked twice the other day. He put some good swings on it, got a breaking ball in the zone, put a good swing, and then the line drive we’ve been looking for for five days. He did an outstanding job.”
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Devers' struggles at the plate were magnified not just by the results, but by the context. After being moved off third base due to the offseason signing of Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman, Devers — recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his 2024 season — expressed frustration about his position shift. But with his early struggles and Bregman’s defensive value, the Red Sox stuck with the switch, and Devers has since embraced his new role as designated hitter.
Helping fuel Boston’s win was left-hander Garrett Crochet, fresh off signing a six-year, $170 million extension. In his second start for the Red Sox, the 25-year-old was dominant, throwing eight scoreless innings while striking out eight and allowing just four hits.
“I felt really good,” Crochet said. “I was just in control. Let’s pour some pitches in the zone and eliminate the walks as much as we can.”
Aroldis Chapman locked down the ninth for his first save, sealing the Red Sox’s second win of the season and ending a short skid.
“I never pressured myself or anything like that,” Devers said. “I knew it was going to come. It was more for other people than for me.”
Now with that elusive first hit — and second — in the books, Devers and the Red Sox can finally turn the page and look forward to brighter days ahead.
