Rafael Devers told Brayan Bello he’d homer twice for him and backed it up
"Comparing it to Babe Ruth, he was something that was out of this league."
It may not have been quite as dramatic as Babe Ruth’s “Called Shot” at Wrigley Field, but Rafael Devers made his own prediction and delivered Friday night.
Devers, on a flight from the Dominican Republic to Chicago, reportedly told starting pitcher Brayan Bello he would hit two home runs to help him out against the Cubs.
That’s exactly what he did. Devers blasted one 417 feet to center in the second inning and 408 feet to right in the third, finishing the night 3-for-5 and powering the Red Sox to a home-run-heavy, 8-3 win over the Cubs.
“He actually told me he was going to go deep twice today, and he actually did,” Bello told reporters.
This isn’t the first time Devers has drawn Ruth comparisons. Earlier in his career, he became the first player under 21 since Ruth to homer in three straight games against the Yankees. He also leapfrogged Ruth for most home runs by a Red Sox hitter at Yankee Stadium before turning 27.
Devers downplayed the Ruth comparison, but he did get a good laugh out of it.
“We’re not talking about anything that’s too out of the ordinary,” Devers said, through a translator. “Comparing it to Babe Ruth, he was something that was out of this league.”
Devers is hitting .400 in July and is on pace for 39 homers and 127 RBIs this season. He has the second-most homers (161) for the Red Sox before turning 27, behind Jim Rice.
“My goal whenever I go up there is to hit the ball as hard as I can,” Devers said. ” … That’s just what I do.”
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