Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Provides key blast Sunday
Devers entered Sunday's game as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Yankees.
The Red Sox looked dead in the water in the ninth inning against New York closer Aroldis Chapman, who showed little of the command problems he had in Friday's series opener. Behind 1-2 in the count, Devers connected on a 103-mph fastball, depositing into the bullpen in left-center field to send the game into extra innings. It was easily the biggest hit of his young career and comes at a time when opponents are learning how to pitch to the rookie. Manager John Farrell told Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that opponents are pitching him hard in and soft away. As such, Farrell wants Devers to play two or three consecutive days, then give him a day to watch and learn. That was the plan for Sunday before he entered as a pinch hitter during the middle innings.