In the eighth inning, Rafael Devers’ two-run double broke the tie, giving the Boston Red Sox a 4-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
The Red Sox, wearing their bright-yellow jerseys with powder-blue lettering and numbers, secured the victory, ending a three-game losing streak and claiming only their second win in eight games.
“Raffy’s been working hard on his swing, trying to connect with pitches,” commented Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Anytime Raffy steps up, we’re confident.”
Facing Robert Garcia, Devers drove the ball over left fielder Eddie Rosario’s head for a double, scoring Tyler O’Neill, who had been intentionally walked. The play came with two outs.
Pinch hitter Romy Gonzalez reached base on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second when shortstop CJ Abrams made an error while attempting a double play. It appeared Gonzalez would have been safe even without the error.
“Given the matchup, it seemed like the right decision,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez, referring to Devers facing a left-handed pitcher. “It was a tough battle out there, but Raffy got the better of him today.”
Devers was confident in his hit, knowing he had struck the ball hard enough to clear Rosario, who attempted to make a play on it.
“I hit it really well, so I had a feeling something good would come of it,” Devers said. “Seeing where he was positioned, I knew he was playing a bit shallow, so I was optimistic.”
Chris Martin earned the win with a scoreless inning, while Kenley Jansen secured his sixth save, marking the 426th of his career.
