đ Red Sox 7, Giants 5: Devers Faces the Music. Chapman Drops the Mic.
Well, well, well⌠look who came crawling back into the spotlight. The newest San Francisco Giant, Rafael Devers, made his highly anticipated debut against his old teamâand in classic Red Sox fashion, we reminded him exactly what he left behind: A bullpen with a pulse, a team that can rally, and a fanbase that doesn't need a translator to understand âyou just struck out again.â
Letâs get into last nightâs 7â5 win over the San Francisco Giantsâa game that had it all: revenge, redemption, and Rafael looking like he accidentally bought a left-handed bat at Dickâs.
âž First 3 Innings: Uh Oh, Here We Go Again?
Things started like most Red Sox games do: mild panic. Hunter Dobbins gave up three early runs, and the Boston fanbase immediately jumped to DEFCON 2, prepping angry tweets and blaming the Devers trade before the third out. đ
But thenâshockerâthe bottom of our lineup did something⌠useful?
đ¨ Ceddanne and Hamilton: Local Men Found Hitting Baseballs
David Hamilton, whoâs usually on standby to pinch-run or take screenshots of the lineup card, actually went yard. His two-run homer got us on the board and momentarily broke Giants fansâ smugness.
Then Ceddanne Rafaelaâa man who looks like he was generated in MLB The Showâput the team on his back. He had 3 hits, drove in 2, and hit a go-ahead solo bomb like he was auditioning for Deversâ old job. Spoiler: the audition went well.
Rafaelaâs slash line post-trade? .438/.471/1.231 since Devers left.
Rafaelâs line in that same stretch? 0-for-a-million.
Coincidence? Or Craig Breslowâs master plan⢠unfolding?
đ§ Nerd Moment: Breslow Probably Thinks Heâs a Genius
Somewhere in a dark, number-filled analytics dungeon, Craig Breslow is nodding quietly, sipping a kale smoothie and whispering, âsee, I told you trading Devers would unlock Ceddanneâs exit velocity.â
To be clear: weâre still furious you traded Devers.
But also: weâre 3â1 since you did. So... đŤ
đ§š The Bullpen Was Actually... Good?
Put this in the âphrases we never expected to typeâ category:
The Red Sox bullpen shut the door.
The bullpen tossed five strong, and then Chapman came in throwing war crimes at 102mph.
And guess who stepped up to face Chapman in the 9th?
đ The Duel: Devers vs. Chapman
Cinematic. Tense. Personal.
Devers stepped into the box like a man ready to send a message. And Chapman responded by sending three messages at 101.8mph directly past his bat. đŤĄ
The best part? They both nodded at each other before the first pitch. A subtle ârespect,â followed by a not-so-subtle strikeout.
It was poetic. It was brutal. It was baseball with closure.
Somewhere, John Henry was probably on Zoom asking his translator what âswing and a missâ means in Spanish.
đŁ Chapman Gets the Save, Giants Fans Get the Sadness
Chapman closed it out for his 14th save, striking out twoâincluding the former face of the franchiseâand walked off like the final boss at Fenway Park West.
The Red Sox improved to 8â1 in their last 9, and letâs just be honest: this team looks looser, faster, and dumber in the best way since Raffy skipped town.
đ Stat Sheet Highlights
Ceddanne Rafaela: 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
David Hamilton: 2-run HR, new cult hero
Brennan Bernardino: W, 1.0 IP, 0 ER
Chapman: 101+ mph bullets, 1 IP, 2 K, 0 fear
Devers: 0-for-5, 1 Ks, several deep sighs
đŹ Giant Mistakes, Giant Regrets
SF media tried to spin this as Deversâ âemotional debutâ and âfresh start.â But he looked more like a guy who just realized San Franciscoâs food scene canât replace Boston's pitching staffâor Fenwayâs wrath.
There were no smiles. Just cold air, empty swings, and a whole lot of âmaybe I made a mistakeâ vibes.
đ
Looking Ahead: Sweep Season?
Game 2 tonight. And if Boston wins again, weâre officially putting the league on notice:
You thought losing Devers would crush us?
You forgot this is the same team that signed Pablo Sandoval, ate $90M, and still showed up the next day. đ
âď¸ Final Thought
Devers may be gone, but his ghost is very much in the dugout. And last night, Chapman exorcised it with 101mph heat and a grin that said, âI told you not to leave.â
This isnât a rebuild. Itâs a recalibration. And if Ceddanne Rafaela is the new face of chaos?
Weâre all in. đ§˘
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