Red Sox recap: Rafael Devers first career walk-off homer in 9th snaps losing skid

One night after Braves ace left-hander Chris Sale outdueled Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, Boston was staring a five-game losing streak in the face after Atlanta went up 5-0 with three homers by the second inning.

Instead, the Sox chipped away at the Braves’ lead, which was capped off by Rafael Devers’ first career walk-off homer in the ninth inning, lifting his club to a dramatic 7-6 win in front of a national audience.

Leading off the ninth, Devers sent a Pierce Johnson’ 2-1 curveball over the Sox’ bullpen, giving Boston their first comeback win down by five runs or more since April 1, 2023.

“We needed that one,” Alex Cora said following the game. “The big boy got a pitch he was able to handle and put a great swing on it.”

Boston fought hard to get back into the game all night, igniting their rally in the seventh inning led by Ceddanne Rafaela’s double that opened the frame. Devers connected for an RBI single that knocked out Aaron Bummer with just one out. After a Braves pitching change, Alex Bregman greeted Enyel De Los Santos with an RBI double off the Monster.

In the eighth inning, the bottom of the order delivered again, with Abraham Toro doubling into right field and Carlos Narváez singling before pinch-runner David Hamilton stole second to put the tying run on second. Jarren Duran laced a single into right field, plating two more runs, tying the game 6-6. The inning would come to an end after Duran tried to steal second but was caught for the fifth time in 17 attempts this season.

“It was incredible,” said starter Lucas Giolito of his teammates’ clawing back in the late innings of the game. “I put us in a deep hole early. The way I pitched, I definitely deserved to lose. But it shows the fact that we’re just not giving up. We’ve had so many one-run games this year. I think we were leading the majors in losing those games, but we’re just a group of guys that’s not giving up. They really picked me up tonight.”

GIOLITO OUTING WAS A DUD

Giolito's performance in the first three innings was disappointing. He walked Austin Riley on a 10-pitch walk and then fell behind to Matt Olson before hanging a changeup over the plate that the left-handed slugger dumped into the Sox’ bullpen.

Marcel Ozuna, the next hitter, blasted a hanging slider to left center, giving the Braves an early 3-0 lead.

Giolito surrendered his third homer of the night following a walk to Ozuna on five pitches with one out. Drake Baldwin hit a two-run shot down the right field line that was called a home run. After a review, the Braves were up 5-0 and looked like they were on their way to a win.

“We weren’t able to finish, guys,” Cora said. “He started very slow but at least gave us four, but we have to finish, guys. He hung a pitch to Ozuna. The walk to Riley (in the first), after being 0-2, was a tough one.”

The right-hander has been wildly inconsistent since coming off the injured list, with two of his last three outings, both at Fenway Park, having been atrocious.

Giolito went just four innings, giving up six earned runs off eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches, 52 strikes, and saw his ERA for the year rise to 7.08.

Grant Holmes, the Braves starter, performed in a completely different manner from Giolito, causing significant trouble for the Sox's bats during his six innings of work. He held Boston to just two earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks. He threw 99 pitches, 57 for strikes.

Holmes retired seven straight batters before Narvaez drew a one-out walk to become the Red Sox' first base runner and then came home to score on Duran’s two-run homer to dead center field.

“There’s a lot of noise about him struggling,” Cora said of his leadoff man. “He’s actually off to a better start than last year.”

BLACK HOLE

Trevor Story has been struggling the last couple of weeks, looking like a black hole in the Red Sox lineup. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and almost hit a homer in the eighth inning.

Entering Saturday night’s game, Story has recorded the 22nd-worst OPS (.627) in the major leagues.

“Physically he feels great,” Cora said before the game to reporters. “And he worked his (expletive) off in the offseason to get to this point. He wanted to play a lot of games, more than 150. And I think he’s on pace to do that. But obviously I gotta be smart, too. Not only with the production, but also the body.”

Cora noted that it’s important for Story to make in-game adjustments to get out of his offensive funk.

“When he’s really good, he’s hitting the fastball. We know that,” Cora said. “And one thing that he did his first year (with the Red Sox in 2022) was driving the ball to right-center. And I always talk about hitting the ball hard the other way. And then whatever soft is in the zone, he was able to pull.”

BULLPEN EXCELLED

Brennan Bernardino worked a clean inning in the fifth with a strikeout. Nick Burdi pitched two innings, issuing four hits with a walk and one strikeout.

Garrett Whitlock has been lackluster over his last five outings, recording a 10.80 ERA. He worked a scoreless eighth despite allowing a walk and a hard flyout to Riley.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth inning, where he walked Ozuna with one out before striking out Sean Murphy. Ozzie Albies' single put the go-ahead run in scoring position before Michael Harris II struck out.

Chapman did his patented stare-down to home plate following his inning-ending punch-out.

“I think the bullpen did an amazing job today,” Cora said after the game, making a note of Bernardino’s bounce-back inning in relief of Giolito after issuing three walks on Friday night. “Berny, after what happened yesterday, he comes in and he gave us three huge outs in the middle of the game. So, total team effort.”

Boston was in dire need of a win, and a dramatic victory could set the Sox on the right track.

“Definitely Win of the Year,” said Giolito. “After how the last week has gone with all these close games, and just like, one pitch away, things not going our way. Being able to continue to relentlessly fight until the very end, and then Raffy doing what he does best and putting it over the edge for us, I think it creates some really good vibes going forward.”

“We’re about to see,” Cora said. “It’s only one night. We don’t want to get too excited about it. … We have 5-12 now in 1-0 games, but you can see it both ways, right? Like ‘Oh, they cannot finish games,’ or ‘They’re about to take off.’ And I see it that way. I better see it that way.”