What Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers did Tuesday night belongs in the history books. Devers went 6-for-6 in Boston’s 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians, with four of the hits doubles.
That’s remarkable enough — there have only been about 150 instances of batters with six or more hits in the same game, about half the number of no-hitters, and only about 100 of those were without making an out.
But consider two more facts: That four of Devers’ hits were doubles and that he’s just 22 years old, and you realize Devers belongs in very rare company indeed.
22-year-old MLB players rarely enjoy six-hit games. These stats add perspective to Rafael Devers’ historic night in Cleveland.https://t.co/QgzlmbeiLJ pic.twitter.com/pgxmK0ZJ44
— NESN (@NESN) August 14, 2019
Doubling Devers
Start with the doubles. According to Baseball Reference, Devers is the first player since at least 1908 to have four doubles in a six-hit game.
Note that doesn’t mean Devers necessarily had the best offensive game of the past 111 years: The Dodgers’ Shawn Green, for instance, had four homers and a double in his 6-for-6 day in 2002. There have been numerous instances of three home runs in a six-hit day.
But Devers’ accomplishment is unique. He started the game with an RBI double to left field in the first inning. He led off the third inning with a ground-ball single. Then, in the fifth, he hit a ground ball that slowly chopped through a hole in center field and turned it into a hustle double. In the sixth, he doubled again, this one a more traditional two-run double to the center-field wall.
Devers caught a bit of a break in the eighth inning when Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis couldn’t handle his hard-hit grounder to short. It was a tough play, and the official scorer ruled it a hit.
He caught another break, at least in terms of his quest for six hits, when the Indians tied the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Jackie Bradley Jr. put the Red Sox on top with a solo home run, and the inning extended long enough for Devers to hit one more double.
.@Rafael_Devers is the first player ever with 6 hits, including 4 doubles in a game. pic.twitter.com/AumPR5Hwxd
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) August 14, 2019
Youthful Devers
If casual baseball fans don’t know the name Rafael Devers, it’s probably time to learn. After the 6-for-6 night, Devers is hitting .325 with 24 home runs, 43 doubles and 93 RBIs. His OPS is .947, approaching MVP territory, non-Mike Trout division.
And here’s the kicker: Devers is still only 22 years old. He’s the third-youngest player with six hits in a ball game, and you might have heard of the two fellows who did it younger: Jesus Alou and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan.
Rafael Devers went 6-6 last night..1st player in the modern era (Since 1900) to have a 6-hit, 4-double game. Devers leads MLB in batted balls with an exit velocity of 95 mph or more pic.twitter.com/u7oEl4UWSW
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) August 14, 2019
