Devers homers twice to power Red Sox past Tigers 14-5

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This article was published 08/04/2023 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DETROIT (AP) — Rafael Devers homered twice, including his fifth career grand slam, and drove in five runs to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Detroit Tigers 14-5 on Saturday.

Devers’ grand slam capped a six-run, second inning. Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer, doubled twice and scored three runs for Boston, which has scored nine or more runs in half its eight games. Devers and Duvall also homered in Thursday’s series opener.

“That’s my job, just to slug and drive runners in,” said Duvall, who signed a $7 million, one-year contract as a free agent. “So, it feels good to come in and do your job. We had some extra base hits today and we’ve just got to keep the bats rolling.”

Raimel Tapia had a pinch two-run homer. Connor Wong and Rob Refsnyder also drove in two runs each.

Tanner Houck (2-0) gave up two runs and three hits in five innings.

Riley Greene drove in two runs for Detroit, which has lost three straight, been outscored 58-26 during a 2-6 start and is hitting .199 as a team.

Joey Wentz (0-2) walked four in the second inning, including Connor Wong and Rob Refsnyder with the bases loaded as Boston took a 2-0 lead. Garrett Hill relieved and Devers hit a 102 mph drive over the left-field wall.

Hill threw a changeup toward the outside corner and Devers guessed right.

“They were working me a little bit different,” Devers said through an translator. “I missed my fastball on the previous pitch, so I was trying to look for another pitch. I was able to get to that pitch and hit it out of the ballpark.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said very few players to could have done that type of damage on that pitch.

“I have no idea how he can do that,” Cora said. “It’s a pitch that’s going away and he stays inside, gets the barrel and drives it that way. Just to be able to do that, that’s impressive.”

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was disappointed he needed to remove Wentz due to wildness.

“Joey just didn’t control the strike zone. It’s not easy,” he said. “I can sit where I sit and say throw strikes. He’s out there trying to throw strikes. But when you don’t control the zone, I mean, five walks and five runs scored and multiple balls left the ballpark. It just turned into a mess for him.”

Duvall’s fourth homer this season increased the lead to 8-0 in the third.

Detroit scored two runs in the fourth on Nick Maton’s double and Spencer Torkelson’s sacrifice fly.

Devers’ second homer of the game and fourth of the season came off Tyler Alexander in the seventh. Boston added three runs in the eighth.

ROSTER MOVES

Tigers OF Austin Meadows was placed on the 10-day IL due to what the team described as mental health issues. OF Akil Baddoo was recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock (hip) is expected to be activated from the 15-day IL on Tuesday and start against Tampa Bay. He threw 81 pitches in a rehab start on Thursday for Double-A Portland, allowing one run and one hit over six innings.

Tigers: INF Tyler Nevin (left oblique strain) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Toledo.

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Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (0-1, 15.75 ERA) will start the finale of the three-game series. He surrendered seven runs in four innings against Pittsburgh in his season debut on Monday.

Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd (0-1, 4.15 ERA) will start the series finale. Boyd gave up two runs in 4 1/3 innings during his season debut at Houston on Monday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports