Rafael Devers finally broke his hitless streak Wednesday night, connecting for his first hit of the season after a brutal 0 for 21 start. The Red Sox slugger roped an RBI double to right field in the fifth inning against Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin.
He didn’t stop there. Devers added a single through the left side of the infield later in the game, giving him two hits on the night.
The drought was painful to watch. Before Wednesday, Devers had gone 26 plate appearances without a hit, though he did draw four walks during that stretch.
What made his slump especially rough wasn’t just the 0-for-21, but how he got there. Devers struck out a staggering 15 times in his first five games, including at least three strikeouts in four of those contests.
Those 15 strikeouts set an unfortunate MLB record for the most ever by a player through the first five games of a season.
The timing is interesting considering Devers’ spring training drama. He initially refused to move off third base when the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, insisting “third base is my position.” Eventually, he accepted a full-time DH role.
It was the right baseball move. Adding Bregman and shifting Devers to DH made the Red Sox better on both sides of the ball.
There might be a simple explanation for the slow start. Devers dealt with a shoulder issue during spring training that delayed his debut until March 15.
He only got 15 plate appearances in exhibition games, far fewer than the 50 or so most everyday players get. While he hit against live pitching on back fields, there’s really no substitute for actual game action.
This is just the beginning of a long relationship between Devers and Boston. The 28-year-old is only in year two of his massive 10-year, $313.5 million contract. Last season, he hit .272 with 28 homers and 34 doubles in 138 games.
The Red Sox are hoping Wednesday’s breakthrough is the start of Devers returning to his All-Star form.
His hits couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks to Devers’ contributions and eight shutout innings from newly extended ace Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox blanked the Orioles 3-0 at Camden Yards.
