Then, it was time for business.
Devers, as became custom during his 1,053 games as a member of the Red Sox, hit a couple of rockets in his San Francisco debut against the Guardians. In all, it was a 2-for-5 night with an RBI double and two strikeouts as San Francisco lost, 3-2.
Devers struck out in the first, chasing a high 96 mph from Slade Cecconi fastball. In the third, though, he delivered. With longtime friend Willy Adames on first base after walking, Devers ripped a 2-0 changeup into the vast right-field gap for an 111.4 mph RBI double that put the Giants up, 2-1. Cecconi struck out Devers again in the fifth, getting him to chase a low slider for the punchout. In the seventh, with two strikes, Devers hit a two-foot tapper that reliever Cade Smith fielded before throwing him out at first.
In the ninth, Devers had the chance to end the game against star Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — but settled for an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw. With Jung Hoo Lee serving as the tying run at first base and one out, Devers kept the line moving by sending a Clase cutter the other way.
Ex-Red Sox first baseman Dominic Smith then flew out to left and then Clase struck out Casey Schmitt to end series opener between the clubs.
Devers was one of two Giants with extra-base hits, joining Mike Yastrzemski. Those two, along with Adames, represented the three Giants with multiple hits.
Devers entered the day with very little experience at Oracle Park, having played at the ballpark just three times with the Red Sox back in 2023. In that July series, he was 1-for-12 with a double and two strikeouts. The Giants took two of three from Boston.
Devers’ Giants will play two more games against Cleveland before the Red Sox come to town Friday night. The expected pitching matchup for the series opener, which will air nationally on MLB Network (as well as NESN) is Hunter Dobbins against Hayden Birdsong.
