Rafael Devers made history by hitting a home run in his sixth straight game, Tanner Houck pitched a stellar game allowing just two hits over seven innings, and the Boston Red Sox secured a 5-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Previously, Devers had been tied with six other players, including baseball legends Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx, for a five-game homer streak record for Boston.
The last player to achieve a streak this long was Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, who had a seven-game run from September 4th to September 12th, 2022.
“I’m very proud to be mentioned in the same conversation with him,” Devers expressed through an interpreter. “We all know the caliber of superstar he is. He’s a future Hall of Famer and a true superstar, so to be recognized alongside him is very rewarding.”
Houck, who earned his fourth win of the season, gave up just one single to Yandy Díaz in the third inning and an infield hit to Josh Lowe in the seventh.
He struck out five batters and only allowed one walk, which came from a defensive shift rule violation by Devers in the second inning.
Houck put an end to his personal four-game losing streak, which included a defeat against the Rays on May 15th, where he conceded three runs, five hits, and three walks over 5 2/3 innings.
“I spoke about my last outing… too many free passes,” Houck reflected. “That was the focus between outings, just getting back into the zone and throwing all my pitches, trusting my stuff. I felt like I executed that pretty well tonight.”
Ceddanne Rafaela also contributed with a home run for the Red Sox, who returned to a .500 record at 24-24. “It was an enjoyable game,” remarked Boston manager Alex Cora. “It was a well-executed baseball game.”
Justin Slaten completed the game with a three-hitter as Boston improved its record to 6-22 at Tampa Bay since the start of the 2021 season.
Rays starter Taj Bradley, despite striking out eight of his first nine batters, faced challenges as Boston’s Jarren Duran started the fourth inning with a triple and scored on a double by Wilyer Abreu. Devers then extended Boston’s lead to 3-0 with his 10th homer of the season, marking his hitting streak to 10 games.
