Fans at Fenway Park experienced a sense of déjà vu, something that is all too familiar in the world of baseball.
Rafael Devers made a notable return to Boston, marking his first game back as a rival player. He hit a remarkable 26th home run of the season for the Giants, although they fell to the Red Sox, 6-4, on Friday night.
Devers, who spent nine solid seasons at Fenway Park before being traded to the Giants by the Red Sox in June 2025, was back in a setting he once called home.
As Devers stepped up to bat in the top of the first inning, the Fenway crowd offered a mixed but mostly chilly reception, with boos drowning out applause, despite his cheerful demeanor.
Devers’ pivotal moment unfolded during his second appearance at the plate in the fourth inning, as he made a significant impact for his team.
The Giants entered the inning trailing 5-1 after the Red Sox scored five runs against Logan Webb in the bottom of the third.
With two outs in the fourth, Drew Gilbert hit a two-run home run off Red Sox starter Sonny Gray to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Devers came to the plate next and took Gray dead center, taking a four-seam fastball yard to bring the Giants within a run of his old team, cutting the lead 5-4.
It was Devers’ 26th home run of the season and his first at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox.
Devers’ homer continued a season in which he has remained the Giants’ primary power hitter despite the team’s overall struggles, as they arrived in Boston at 52-75, long out of the National League’s otherwise contentious playoff chase.
Entering Friday, the 29-year-old had played in all 127 of the Giants’ games and was hitting .244 with a .320 on-base percentage and .470 slugging percentage.
He had 117 hits, including 31 doubles and 25 home runs, along with 69 RBIs and 67 runs scored.
Devers’ .789 OPS is his lowest since 2018 — his first full MLB season — but he’s still top three among Giants hitters in WAR for the fourth-place NL West club.
The Red Sox originally signed Devers as an international free agent in 2013.
He debuted in 2017 and became one of the franchise’s most productive hitters, helping the team win the 2018 World Series, where he hit .294 in the postseason overall.
His relationship with the organization worsened during the 2025 season following disagreements over his defensive role, and Boston eventually traded him to the Giants.