Rafael Devers homers in return, Willson Contreras powers Red Sox past Giants

The NESN cameras didn’t have to search long to find Rafael Devers after Willson Contreras launched a moonshot that changed the complexion of the game.

As Contreras celebrated his mammoth three-run homer wearing the Wally head in the Red Sox dugout, the broadcast quickly cut to Devers watching from the other side.

Devers returned to Fenway Park for the first time since his messy Father’s Day trade to San Francisco last summer and even homered in his return. 

But on a night centered around his homecoming, it was Contreras and the Red Sox who ultimately had the last word in a 6-4 win over the Giants on Friday night.

Contreras supplied quite literally the biggest swing of the night.

With Boston trailing 1-0 in the third, Contreras crushed a three-run homer over the Green Monster that traveled 450 feet and left his bat at 116 mph. 

Contreras’ blast also matched the hardest-hit home run of his career, equaling the mark he set with the Cubs against Milwaukee on May 31, 2022.

The 450-foot shot was also his longest home run since Aug. 11, 2023, when he was with the Cardinals and went deep against Kansas City.

The blast put Boston ahead 3-1 and helped chase Giants starter Logan Webb before the third inning was over. Webb entered with a 3.50 ERA but was tagged for five runs on six hits and three walks in just 2 2/3 innings.

Devers, of course, wasn’t going quietly in front of the Fenway Faithful. 

His first trip to the plate since returning to Fenway produced a reception that leaned heavily toward boos, though some cheers could be heard throughout the ballpark.

The Red Sox waited until after the inning to play a tribute video honoring his nine seasons in Boston. This time the reception was warmer. Devers received a round of applause and acknowledged the crowd from the Giants dugout.

Whatever complicated feelings remain between Devers, the organization and Red Sox fans, there’s plenty of history there. Devers signed with Boston as a 17-year-old in 2013 and went on to hit .279 with an .859 OPS, 215 homers, 273 doubles and 696 RBI over 1,053 games with the club.

Devers has made it clear he has no regrets about how his Red Sox tenure ended.

“I don’t want to think about the past,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about the past. At the same time, we’re all men. We’re all grown-ups. We have to understand this is the business of baseball. At the same time, you make mistakes and you have to move on and mature.

“I feel really good,” he later added. “It has been a year and I think I have matured during that year. I think I have learned, as an athlete, that there’s things that are going to happen. What you have to do is just move forward and learn from that.”

In the fourth inning, he reminded everyone at Fenway of the hitter they once watched on a nightly basis.

Drew Gilbert homered off Sonny Gray before Devers stepped in and crushed a 412-foot solo shot to center. The back-to-back homers helped San Francisco cut Boston’s lead to 5-4.

Devers finished his return 1-for-3 with the homer and a walk.

Gray didn’t have his usual dominant stuff on Friday night. The right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings, striking out six. It was just the fourth time in 24 starts this season that he surrendered at least four runs.

Gray has the most wins by a Red Sox pitcher age 36 or older since Tim Wakefield in 2007 (17 wins).

The Red Sox added an important insurance run in the sixth when Nick Sogard singled and Wilyer Abreu sent a 107-mph liner toward right. Jung Hoo Lee initially broke in before scrambling back, but the ball went off his glove and rolled toward the warning track.

Sogard scored easily while Abreu raced into third with an RBI triple, extending Boston’s lead to 6-4.

From there, the bullpen slammed the door.

Erik Miller, acquired from these same Giants for Marcelo Mayer at the trade deadline, struck out two in a perfect seventh. The left-hander has now allowed just one unearned run with 14 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings since joining Boston.

Chad Tracy handed the eighth to rookie Alec Gamboa and that decision paid off for the Sox.

Gamboa retired left-handed hitters Bryce Eldridge and Lee before striking out Osleivis Basabe to complete a perfect inning. 

Boston finished it from there to improve to 69-59 and get back to .500 at Fenway at 32-32.

Devers homered but Boston got the last laugh and ultimately the win to open their three-game series. 

Boston and San Francisco will continue the series Saturday night at 7:15 p.m., with Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.76 ERA) scheduled to face Giants right-hander Blade Tidwell (0-0, 4.33 ERA).