Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora knows when Rafael Devers is going good at the plate.
“That’s Raffy’s superpower is left-center,” Cora told reporters after the series opener last week against the Baltimore Orioles, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “He’s never been a pull hitter, right? He pulls the ball in the air when it’s soft or in certain venues. … But when he drives the ball to left-center, it’s when he’s locked in. And we haven’t seen that yet.”
Well, Cora and the Red Sox saw it Sunday in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park.
Devers, who began his season in a wicked 0-for-21 slump with 15 strikeouts, hit his first home run of the season when he deposited a 93 mph fastball from Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante into the first row of the Green Monster seats in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The homer came off Devers’ bat at 107.4 mph and traveled 393 feet. You can watch his round-tripper here.
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The blast from Devers allowed him to get in on Boston’s new home run celebration in which they don a mascot head of Wally the Green Monster.
Devers has shown signs that his slump is behind him. The home run game him a hit in four straight games and Devers has six hits over that span, too.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
