SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers never harbored any concerns about hitting in San Francisco at a venue notorious for favoring pitchers. In Devers’ mind, there was nothing to change. The baseball, after all, is still the same.
“I know that I’m a power hitter,” Devers said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros on Friday. “If I hit the ball good, I know it will go out of any ballpark.”
Any ballpark, of course, includes Oracle Park. On Saturday afternoon at China Basin, Devers proved his power will play in the Bay. Against, appropriately enough, a team that knows his power all too well.
With his first homer as a Giant, a two-run, opposite-field shot, Devers powered San Francisco to a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox — the only major-league team Devers had known for more than a decade. In Boston, Devers blossomed into one of baseball’s best players. In San Francisco, the Red Sox can only watch their former star from afar.
Along with their new acquisition, the Giants saw a litany of homegrown talent star in Saturday’s win.
Heliot Ramos served as the appetizer to Devers by hitting his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot that landed in the Giants’ bullpen. Landen Roupp bounced back from a rough start against the Los Angeles Dodgers (1 2/3 innings, six runs) by tossing six scoreless innings.
Saturday, though, was Devers’ day.
Devers went hitless over five at-bats in his first game against Boston in Friday’s 7-5 loss, then grounded out in his first plate appearance of the game. In his seventh at-bat against his former team, Devers finally met the moment.
In the bottom of the third, the Red Sox’s Brayan Bello began his battle against Devers with a 95.7 mph four-seam outside fastball for a called strike. Bello tried going back to that well; Devers sent the offering over the left-field fence for this 16th home run of the season.
The ninth inning was not without drama. Camilo Doval entered the ballgame with the Giants leading 3-0, but allowed a pair of runs on Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single and a throwing error by catcher Andrew Knizner that allowed a runner to score. The Red Sox got the tying run 90 feet away, but Doval managed to shut the door on the win.
