Red Sox at Giants: Lineups, Preview & Must-Know Notes (Aug 22)
Rafael Devers Returns to Fenway: A Night of Mixed Feelings and a Home Run
The Big Story: Devers Comes Back to Boston
Imagine playing for your hometown team for years, winning a championship, and then getting traded away. That’s exactly what happened to Rafael Devers. Last June, the Boston Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants. On Friday night, he came back to Fenway Park — the only MLB home he’d ever known — for the very first time as an opponent.
Important Point: Devers didn’t just show up — he made a statement. He hit a home run in his first at-bat back at Fenway.
How the Crowd Reacted: Cheers Meet Boos
When Devers stepped up to the plate, the crowd didn’t know quite what to do. You could hear both loud cheers and sharp boos echoing through the stadium at the same time.
Giants manager Tony Vitello had a funny (and probably true) theory about why:
"I’d assume all the people that cheered were people that lived here in 2018 when the Red Sox won the World Series, and all the people that had anything else moved here after that."
Translation: Longtime fans who remember the 2018 championship cheered. Newer fans — or those still mad about the trade — booed.
The Red Sox Are on Fire Right Now
While Devers was stealing the spotlight, his old team has been quietly crushing it lately. Here’s the proof:
- 5 wins in their last 8 games
- 30 come-from-behind victories this season (that means they were losing but came back to win!)
- 23-11 record since the All-Star break — the best in all of baseball
- 15-5 at home during that same stretch
- Home runs in 6 straight games (as of Friday)
New Guy Alert: Erik Miller Is Dealing
The Red Sox got Erik Miller from the Giants at the August 3 trade deadline (part of the deal that sent top prospect Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco). So far? He’s been lights out.
- 0 earned runs allowed in 8⅓ innings with Boston
- Miller says: "Everything about playing for the Red Sox has been amazing."
Tomorrow’s Game: Saturday Preview
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Giants (52-76) vs. Red Sox (69-59) |
| Time | 7:15 p.m. |
| TV/Radio | Fox, WEEI-FM 93.7 |
| Giants Starter | RHP Blade Tidwell (0-0, 4.33 ERA) — 1st career start vs. Boston, 4th start since joining rotation |
| Red Sox Starter | LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.76 ERA) — 0-1, 5.74 ERA in 3 career starts vs. SF |
Projected Lineups
Giants
- Bericoto LF
- Devers DH ← The man of the hour
- Adames SS
- Eldridge 1B
- Basabe 2B
- Lee RF
- Koss 3B
- Gilbert CF
- Knizner C
Red Sox
- Sogard 2B
- Rafaela CF
- Abreu RF
- Contreras 1B
- Rutschman C
- Durbin 3B
- Duran LF
- Monasterio SS
- Gasper DH
Key Matchup History (Small Sample Sizes!)
Giants Hitters vs. Sandoval
| Player | Stats |
|---|---|
| Willy Adames | 0-for-2 |
| Osleivis Basabe | 2-for-4 |
| Rafael Devers | 2-for-5 |
| Andrew Knizner | 0-for-4 |
Red Sox Hitters vs. Tidwell
| Player | Stats |
|---|---|
| Willson Contreras | 3-for-3 |
| Adley Rutschman | 0-for-1 |
| Anthony Seigler | 0-for-2 |
Note: These are tiny sample sizes — don’t read too much into them!
Other Notes You Should Know
- Giants struggles: Lost 13 of last 16 on the road | 5-13 in August
- Devers heating up: Hits in 6 of last 7 games (after a rough 2-for-15 slump)
- Marcelo Mayer update: The prospect traded for Miller is dealing with right foot soreness, pausing his rehab in Triple-A. Giants manager Vitello says he’ll rest the weekend and reassess.
- Blade Tidwell makes his first career start vs. Boston — and just his 4th start since joining the Giants’ rotation.
- Sandoval vs. Giants career: 0-1, 5.74 ERA in 3 starts.
Summary
- Rafael Devers returned to Fenway for the first time since being traded to the Giants — and hit a home run.
- The crowd gave a mixed reaction (cheers + boos), which Giants manager Tony Vitello jokingly blamed on "when you moved to Boston."
- The Red Sox are red-hot: best record in baseball since the All-Star break (23-11), 30 comeback wins, and homers in 6 straight games.
- Erik Miller (acquired in the Marcelo Mayer trade) has been perfect so far — 0 earned runs in 8⅓ innings.
- Saturday’s game: Patrick Sandoval (BOS) vs. Blade Tidwell (SF) at 7:15 p.m. on Fox/WEEI 93.7.
- Devers has historically hit Sandoval well (2-for-5), while Contreras has owned Tidwell (3-for-3) — but samples are tiny.
FAQ
Q: Why was Rafael Devers traded if he was so good?
A: Great question! Sometimes teams trade star players due to contract situations, team direction changes, or to get younger/cheaper talent in return. The Red Sox got top prospect Marcelo Mayer in the deal — a shortstop many think could be a future star.
Q: What does "ERA" mean?
A: Earned Run Average — it’s the average number of runs a pitcher gives up per 9 innings. Lower is better. So a 4.33 ERA means the pitcher allows about 4.33 runs every full game.
Q: Who is Marcelo Mayer?
A: He was the Red Sox’s top prospect — a highly touted young shortstop. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Devers to San Francisco. He’s currently rehabbing in the minors but dealing with foot soreness.
Q: What’s a "come-from-behind win"?
A: When a team is losing at some point during the game but rallies to win. The Red Sox have done this 30 times this year — that’s a lot of drama!
Q: Why do small sample sizes (like 2-for-5) not matter much?
A: In baseball, anything can happen in a few at-bats. A player could get lucky hits or face a pitcher on a bad day. You need dozens or hundreds of at-bats to know a real trend.
Article based on reporting by Cam Kerry (cam.kerry@globe.com)