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Rafael Devers hits first home run for Giants against former team Red Sox

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rafael Devers hit his first home run for the Giants, connecting against his former Boston Red Sox team just six days after being traded to San Francisco.

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.

Devers got loud cheers from the big crowd in San Francisco 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.

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.

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.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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