Rafael Devers hits first Giants homer against Red Sox for the win
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers (16) throws his bat after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning of the Boston Red Sox vs. SF Giants MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
06.21.25 – Rafael Devers hit his first home run for San Francisco against his former team on Saturday, and the Giants beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 just six days after the big trade between the teams.
For Devers, his first home run for San Francisco felt similar to the 215 he hit for Boston — even if this one came against the Red Sox just six days after his surprising trade to the Giants.
“Nothing more special than any other home run that I hit,” he said through Erwin Higueros a Giants interpreter. “I’m just here and happy that I was able to contribute for the team’s win.”
Devers began his first series against the Red Sox by going 0 for 5 on Friday night and grounding out in his first at-bat Saturday. He then delivered just what his new team had been expecting when he hit an opposite-field drive off Brayan Bello over the left-field fence for a two-run homer in the third inning.
The home run displayed just the kind of power Devers can deliver in a ballpark that has been unkind to all lefties not named Barry Bonds. It’s expected that he will hit baseballs into McCovey Cove, much like Bonds, but he sprays the ball all over.
“That’s kind of typical him too, just let it travel and catch it late and block it out to left field,” manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s done it so many times in Boston. This park kind of plays that way to lefties as well. I think to get that one off his back, feels good about that, obviously being incredibly impactful in the outcome of the game. Now he can settle in and do his thing.”
2025.06.21 (Giants vs Red Sox) See Full Highlights
The Giants’ Rafael Devers hits a two-run home run against the Red Sox in the third inning on an MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, June 21, 2025. It was his first homer since being traded by Boston to San Francisco last week. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
2025.06.21 (Giants vs Red Sox) See Full Highlights
2025.06.21 (Giants vs Red Sox) See Full Highlights
Devers got loud cheers from the Oracle Park crowd of 39,027 as he rounded the bases for his 216th career home run that just happened to be caught by a fan in a Red Sox T-shirt.
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (NBC Sports Post Recap)
The Giants’ Rafael Devers (#16) center, celebrates with Heliot Ramos (left) Saturday after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Andrew Knizner (#21) right, in the third inning on an MLB game vs. the Red Sox at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (NBC Sports Post Recap)
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (NBC Sports Post Recap)
Devers became the 10th player to homer for and against the same team in a span of seven days or fewer, according to Sportradar. The last player to do it was Abraham Toro, who homered for Houston against Seattle on July 26, 2021, and then for the Mariners against the Astros the next day.
This is the third time it happened with a player traded by the Red Sox. Don Lenhardt and Walt Dropo both did it in 1952, with their homers for Detroit against Boston coming in the same game on June 6 that season, three days after they were traded together in an eight-player deal.
Devers also joined Willie Mays, Jimmie Foxx and four other players who hit their first 200 career homers with one team and then had their first homer on their new team come against their former team.
Devers was traded by Boston less than two years into a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension that he signed in 2023.
Devers’ relationship with the Red Sox began to deteriorate when the team signed Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman during spring training and asked Devers to move to DH; he balked before agreeing to the switch. When first baseman Triston Casas sustained a season-ending knee injury, the Red Sox approached Devers about playing the field and he declined, saying the front office “should do their jobs” and look for another player.
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (Locked On Post Recap)
The Giants’ Rafael Devers smiles Saturday after hitting a two-run home run that also scored Andrew Knizner in the third inning on an MLB game vs. the Red Sox at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (Locked On Post Recap)
2025.06.21 – Giants vs Red Sox (Locked On Post Recap)
A day after Devers’ comments to the media about playing first, Red Sox owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Kansas City to meet with Devers and manager Alex Cora.
Devers’ stance didn’t change and he was eventually traded to San Francisco where he is practicing at first base to play there later this season. Devers said Friday that he wouldn’t have done anything differently in his time in Boston, adding that he was as happy as he has been in years after joining the Giants.
What perhaps has stood out most to those within the Giants clubhouse is how unfazed Devers has been since arriving to San Francisco. Reverberations from the blockbuster trade still have the baseball world abuzz, but Devers has managed to put together quality at-bats from the day he arrived. Whatever fears might be stoked about the perils Oracle Park don’t penetrate his steely, yet relaxed exterior. His life changed in a matter of hours, but he isn’t playing catch-up.
“He never looks like anything affects him since he’s been here,” Melvin said. “I was making the comment that, there’s so much going on in his life — he goes from Boston to here in a trade and it’s a day — there’s so much going on and he looked comfortable from the very beginning about being here and happy. He’s been the same guy the entire time.”
UP NEXT
Giants: lefty Robbie Ray will get the start for San Francisco on Sunday.
Red Sox: Luis Giolito will go for the Red Sox on Sunday.
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Read more at: San Francisco Giants Media Services / More AP MLB
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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