Donnelly: Leave it to the Yankees to wake up Rafael Devers

Leave it to the Yankees to help Rafael Devers wake up. 

The 26-year-old was batting just .208 with two home runs during the month of August as Boston entered its three-game set in New York. 

Three games later, Devers is coming off a 9-for-13 showing in the Bronx over the weekend with a pair of homers, four RBI and six runs, putting up three hits in each game of the series and coming a triple shy of the cycle in Sunday's back-and-forth 6-5 victory. Now, the Red Sox, winners in nine of their last 13, are headed south to Houston after their second sweep of the season against the Yankees. 

"It's very important, even more when we're fighting with a few teams to make the playoffs," Devers told reporters of the sweep. "Everything's working well for us, so I hope it keeps going."

For the third basemen, who now owns a four-game hitting streak with three bombs, it made for a dramatic shift in his offensive output this month, improving to .328 with 1.038 OPS. 

"It started in the last game in Washington. He put a good swing," Alex Cora told reporters of Devers' recent surge. "Just talking to him, he's locked in. He's flatter to the baseball. He's not missing pitches. He's putting good at-bats, and he had a great weekend here in New York."

In what's largely been an inconsistent season for the franchise cornerstone, he seems to have no problem rising to the occasion against Boston's longtime rivals from the Bronx. 

This season, the Sox are 8-1 against the unraveling Yankees – losers of eight straight for the first time since the mid-90s – taking six in a row, thanks in large part to Devers.

In 35 at-bats against New York, Devers has turned into quite the Bronx Bomber himself, so to say, batting .428 with a pair of doubles, four home runs, seven RBI and 15 runs with six walks. It's been even better in six games at Yankee Stadium this season for him, where he holds an unfathomable .520 average, six RBI, nine runs and a 1.636 OPS, accounting for all four home runs and both of his doubles. For the sake of Gerrit Cole's feelings, I'll keep from getting into Devers' numbers against him, although it rhymes with 'seven career home runs and 16 RBI, the most of any batter he's faced, ever.'

"No, I just feel comfortable hitting here," Devers told reporters via a translator when asked if he gets more energy playing in New York. "I think the same as other ballparks, but here it sometimes feels better. I'm just trying to hit the ball hard, and this is a good ballpark to hit balls."

While Justin Turner's late-game heroics between a three-run homer and a go-ahead RBI double may have stolen the show, Devers' offensive output was crucial in the early parts of the ballgame. 

He launched a no-doubter to the second deck in right field on the ninth pitch of the game, capping off a six-pitch at-bat by taking a hanging knuckle curve for a 103.9-mile-per-hour flight. 

After a third-inning single, Devers legged out a double in the top of the sixth to work himself into scoring position with the game tied. After the Yankees' middle of the infield made like the Red Sox and threw the ball around, Devers, with his head on a swivel, hustled for home and beat the throw for the lead. 

With Devers accounting for all of Boston's offense early on Sunday and for much of the series, it opened up opportunities behind him in the order as the Yankees were quick to work around him. But Turner and the Sox were more than happy to oblige the extra attention thrown Devers' way as the former belted a three-run blast in the top of the seventh after an intentional walk for No. 11.  

"That's the reason we switched the lineup. If they're going to walk Raffy, then they got Turner," Cora said of the dynamic with Turner coming through behind Devers in the order. "We're gonna keep doing this. ... I think for the rest of the season, we'd do it the other way around. Early on, it was Raffy behind him. Now it's kind of like, 'If you're going to walk Raffy, then you go after Turner.'"

Another positive sign for Boston was Devers' sixth-inning baserunning. Even if he's not one to break any land-speed records, after dealing with back and hamstring issues over the last couple of seasons, seeing him gun for second and home as he did has to be encouraging for his health the rest of the way. It's especially important considering how vital he is to the Sox' playoff hopes, even in what could be categorized as a bit of a 'down' year.

But even through the ups and downs, Devers is still on pace to flirt with 35 home runs after picking up his 29th Sunday. Through the inconsistencies, it's been consistency that has helped him the most, sticking to his process, whether or not the results are coming at the plate. 

Now, the results are showing themselves.

"It's been the same routine, throughout my entire year," Devers said. "It's just I'm having more confidence at the plate right now. I have the same routine and everything. Just having better at-bats."