Rafael Devers drives the Red Sox into the postseason
The Red Sox were in a tight race with the division rival Yankees and Blue Jays that went down to the wire. Boston could clinch the top Wild Card spot with a win but a loss threatened to knock them out of the postseason picture. Rafael Devers saved his best for last with a performance against the Washington Nationals that secured Boston’s playoff spot.
The Red Sox trailed by a pair of runs until Devers finally put his team on the board with a solo shot to deep center against Nationals starter Joan Adon.
The outlook was bleak with Boston trailing by three runs in the seventh inning. With the Red Sox clinging to their playoff hopes, Devers ignited a rally with a base hit up the middle that drove in a run and moved Xander Bogaerts to third base. An Alex Verdugo double would drive in both runners to tie the game later that inning.
Devers came through in the clutch in the ninth inning with a line drive to center that cleared the fence for a game-winning two-run homer against right-hander Kyle Finnegan. Nick Pivetta came out of the bullpen to slam the door shut in the bottom of the inning, sending Boston to the postseason.
Devers was 4-for-5 with two homers and four RBI in the game. The four hits were a season-high. It was his fourth multi-home run game of the season. While Devers had a pair of five-RBI games this year, the high stakes in this win-or-go-home situation vault this regular season finale to the top of his outstanding performances.