BOSTON -- The laser beams are once again emanating from the big bat of Rafael Devers and the smile is back on his face. When Devers is raking, his infectious enthusiasm spreads, and that's exactly what his team needs right now.
And on a Wednesday afternoon to savor at Fenway Park, the Red Sox rode their third baseman to a much-needed 6-3 victory over the Phillies to snap a nine-game losing streak.
With Devers taking center stage with three hits, including a missile-seeking two-run shot (exit velocity of 111.3-mph) to center that tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third, there were finally some things to feel good about again at Fenway Park.
"What he's been able to do over the last week, getting back into his swing and staying exactly to kind of who he is, when you start seeing him drive balls off the Monster and staying up through the middle of the field, you know he's getting hot," Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes said of Devers. "You know good things are going to have to start happening."
Watching Devers rake and on the same day the much-maligned pitching staff gave up just three hits was a nice way for Boston manager Ron Roenicke to celebrate his 64th birthday.
"Yeah, it's amazing how good a win feels," said Roenicke. "But we did a lot of things right today, and that was really good to see."
The 23-year-old Devers, who broke out in 2019 with perhaps the best season of any Red Sox third baseman who doesn't go by the name of Wade Boggs, started this year in a mystifying slump.
When this two-game homestand started on Tuesday, Devers was slashing .183/.239/.317 with only two homers. Over the past two games, Devers has six hits and suddenly looks like himself again.
"Obviously there's been moments where it's been frustrating so far," said Devers. "I just continue to try to play the game and have fun, because that's what it's all about. I love playing this game and I love having fun out there. And I'm just always trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I know how talented I am, so when things aren't going well for me, I know that eventually they will. That's the way I look at it, so I'm just trying to continue to do that."
What specific adjustments did Devers make?
"No doubt the timing is definitely better," Roenicke said. "He's not chasing way out of the zone. He's still chasing a couple times, but it looks like he's seeing the ball better and not getting so jumpy with his body and just letting those good hands work. The last two days have been great, and so as we move forward, hopefully we have him like this for the rest of the year."
There were several others who contributed to the victory that left the Red Sox with a mixture of relief and satisfaction as they boarded a flight to Baltimore.
Hart of the matter
Lefty Kyle Hart didn't give the Red Sox much length in his second Major League start (3 2/3 innings), but he kept his team in it early and had five strikeouts.
For the Red Sox, just staying within striking distance in the early to middle innings has been an uphill climb.
After a 29-pitch first inning in which he gave up two runs, Hart gathered himself and came back strong for the rest of the afternoon.
"I thought Hart did a fantastic job," said Barnes. "The first inning could have gotten out of hand. He was able to limit it to two runs, go back out there and continue to put up zeroes to give our offense a chance to score some runs."
Verdugo's energy and hustle stood out
Alex Verdugo continues to be the team's energizer bunny. After he belted a double off the Green Monster in the seventh, Verdugo raced to third on a grounder to the right side by Kevin Pillar. And when Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins bobbled the ball, Verdguo never stopped running and went into home headfirst to give the Sox a two-run lead.
When Jackie Bradley Jr. caught the final out to end the losing streak, Verdugo raised both arms in triumph, wearing a uniform that was filthy from the shoulders down.
"That's just the energy he brings every day," said Roenicke. "Before the game, he's running around trying to get guys going, and I think you need guys like that on your team."
Barnes takes charge
One thing the Red Sox couldn't afford again was to have the bullpen spring another leak. The losing streak could have ended on Tuesday, when Boston held a 4-2 lead after five. But the bullpen imploded in a seven-run sixth inning.
When Ryan Weber got in a mini-jam in the seventh inning on Wednesday, Barnes was determined not to let the lead -- down to 4-3 at the time -- slip away.
The veteran righty struck out Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto on curveballs to end the threat. It was Harper who hit the game-breaking three-run homer off Heath Hembree on Tuesday night.
"It was a one-run game with a man on second at that point," said Barnes. "Obviously you've got the heart of the order and two guys who have been swinging the bat really well lately. [I was] able to make some quality pitches. Fortunately, it went my way, it went the team's way, so it was definitely awesome."
In the eighth, when Didi Gregorius worked Barnes for a 14-pitch walk, the setup man again refused to get frazzled. With the count full on Alec Bohm, Barnes went back to his bread and butter, the curveball, and got a pretty 6-4-3 double play.
"He put a decent swing on it. Fortunately, [Tzu-Wei] Lin made a great play with the backhand, and him and [José] Peraza were able to turn the double play for us," Barnes said.