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Rafael Devers’ big night vs. Cubs will spark Giants playoff belief
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- Rafael Devers’ big night vs. Cubs will spark Giants playoff belief
The post Rafael Devers' big night vs. Cubs will spark Giants playoff belief appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Sometimes, one player can flip the feel of an entire season. On Wednesday night at Oracle Park, that player was Rafael Devers . The San Francisco Giants ' star DH/first baseman erupted for his best game since arriving in the Bay, hammering two home runs and driving in five runs as part of a 4-for-4 performance in a 12-3 rout of the Chicago Cubs . Devers came up just a triple shy of the cycle, and in the process, reminded fans and teammates alike why the front office brought him in to anchor their lineup for the long haul.
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Devers wasted no time setting the tone, crushing a Colin Rea splitter 410 feet to straightaway center in the first inning. The solo shot was the Giants' first hit of the night and immediately put Chicago on its heels. Later, with the game still within reach in the sixth inning, Devers punished a Taylor Rogers sinker into the left-field seats for a three-run homer that pushed San Francisco into double digits. By then, the blowout was on, and the crowd was buzzing with chants that felt more like October than late August.
It wasn't just the power. Devers also doubled into Triples Alley at 107 mph off the bat and showed off his baserunning instincts. Twice, he scored from third on balls that didn't look like sure-fire RBIs — once on Dominic Smith 's sacrifice fly in the third, and again on Matt Chapman 's bloop single in the fifth, a play that turned chaotic when Kyle Tucker 's throw caromed off Chapman's helmet, allowing Smith to cross as well.
Giants' bats finally get going, but is it "too little, too late"?
Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
The sequence was emblematic of a night when just about everything went San Francisco's way. Chapman later added his 200th career homer, and Heliot Ramos joined the party with one of his own. Young lefty Carson Whisenhunt had to grind through five innings, but his ability to escape two bases-loaded jams with double plays kept the Cubs from clawing back. The win was the Giants' fourth straight, improving them to 65-68 as they continue to chase an NL Wild Card spot.
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They remain seven games behind the surging Mets with 29 to play, so the path isn't easy. But performances like Wednesday's are what can keep belief alive. "These guys are resilient," Devers said after the game. "We know what's in front of us, and we're going to keep pushing."
Devers now sits at 27 homers on the year, with most of that production split between Boston and San Francisco. Oracle Park is notorious for humbling left-handed sluggers, but when Devers is locked in, the park plays small. The Giants have been searching for a true middle-of-the-order bat to complement Wilmer Flores and Matt Chapman; Devers showed exactly what that presence can look like.
For a team that stumbled badly earlier in the summer, these kinds of nights reignite hope. Sweeping playoff-bound opponents might be a stretch, but stringing together wins against contenders keeps the Giants relevant. And as long as Devers swings like this, San Francisco has every reason to believe the math isn't impossible just yet.
Related: Giants third baseman Matt Chapman joins historic club with home run blast vs. Cubs
