Rafael Devers gets 1st hit of 2025 season after 15 strikeouts in 19 at-bats in Red Sox's win over Orioles

Rafael Devers still isn't out of what's been a nightmarish start to his 2025 season. But the Boston Red Sox designated hitter was eventually going to get his first hit. A turnaround had to start somewhere. It had to start sometime. 

What Devers and the Red Sox hope is a breakthrough occurred in the fifth inning of Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He got ahead of Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin on a two-ball, one-strike count, and the right-hander left too much of a curveball in the middle of the strike zone on his next pitch. 

Devers pulled the ball to right field for a double, scoring Ceddanne Rafaela and giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead. 

Fresh off agreeing to a six-year contract extension worth a reported $170 million, Garrett Crochet pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing only four hits with eight strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman finished the Red Sox win with a scoreless ninth, earning his first save of the season. With the win, Boston improves to 2-4 and avoids falling too far behind in the AL East. 

Devers not only got his first hit and drove in his first run five games into the season. He later got his second hit with a seventh-inning single. But while batting 2-for-4, he didn't strike out. Strikeouts have been a huge problem for Devers, who hasn't just looked ineffective at the plate but downright lost with his timing. 

Coming into Tuesday's game, Devers was 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts. He's struck out three or more times in four of his five games. In his first three games of the season, Devers struck out 10 times and set an MLB record.