Fastball

Rafael Devers Ties Boston Red Sox Legend Nomar Garciaparra on Historic List

The Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night as Rafael Devers moved up a prestigious list in team history, putting himself alongside Nomar Garciaparra in the record books.

Brady Farkas

May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11)
May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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The Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night, 7-5, at Fenway Park. The loss means that the Sox dropped the four-game series against Tampa Bay and fell back to .500 at 22-22. After a better than expected start, the Sox are now in fourth place in the American League East.

If you're looking for a silver lining out of the loss, it's that the Sox showed some resolve and Rafael Devers made some history.

Boston was down 5-1 in the fifth inning before scoring three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to pull even at 5-5. Alex Cora's team did not give up, but unfortunately, Boston couldn't pull ahead and lost it in the top of the ninth.

As for Devers, he hit a home run in the second inning, which gave him 178 for his career.

Per @SoxNotes on social media:

Rafael Devers now has 178 HR, tied with Nomar Garciaparra for 12th most in Red Sox history.

10. Rico Petrocelli 210
11. Jason Varitek 193
T12. RAFAEL DEVERS 178
T12. Nomar Garciaparra 178

As long as he stays healthy, Devers is assured to pass Garciaparra this season and will likely pass Varitek as well. After a slow start, Devers is now hitting .288 with a .902 OPS. He has six homers and 16 RBI despite dealing with some shoulder issues earlier in the season.

The 27-year-old is the centerpiece of the Red Sox franchise now that Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts have moved on. A lifetime .281 hitter, he's one of the more productive position players in all of baseball.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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