The Return Is Here
Rafael Devers steps back onto the grass at Fenway Park this weekend, but he wears the San Francisco Giants uniform now. It marks his second time facing the Red Sox since the trade happened in 2025. The first series took place in San Francisco, and now the action moves to his old home in Boston.
The shift in fortune between the two clubs has been stark since the deal went down. The Red Sox hold a 120-96 record since Devers left, while the Giants sit at 92-125. Per reports, the Red Sox gained a lot of freedom while the Giants got a slugging first baseman. That math tells a clear story about who is winning right now.
Devers is hitting .244 with 25 home runs this season. His slash line sits at .244/.317/.471. Compare that to his time in Boston, where he slashed .279/.349/.510 over parts of nine seasons. The numbers show he was better in green and red than he is in black and orange.
Pitching Matchups and Struggles
Logan Webb starts the series for the Giants, and he has had a rough year. He gave up 7 runs to the Yankees to start the season, then 6 to the Padres in June and 7 to the Rockies in July. He finally found some form in August, allowing just two runs over three starts and 20 innings.
On the other side, Sonny Gray is rolling hard. The 15-game winner has allowed only two runs in his last 19 innings. His ERA sits at 2.66, which is much lower than Webb’s 3.50. The Giants also have Blade Tidwell, who came over at the 2025 deadline. He has made 13 starts with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks over 27 innings.
The Red Sox pitching staff faces some tough questions too. Patrick Sandoval is coming off a disaster where he lasted just 4.0 innings and allowed 7 runs to the Pirates. The bullpen got a rest on Thursday, but the starters need to step up. Jake Bennett has entered uncharted territory with his innings and needs the off-day to help him get back on track.
Seeing Devers in a Giants jersey changes the vibe at the park. He was the face of the franchise for nearly a decade. Now he is the opponent. The fans will cheer for the Sox, but they will also watch to see if Devers can find the power he had in Boston.
The Giants are not the team they were when they acquired him. They are losing more games than they are winning. The Red Sox have found a new rhythm without him. This weekend is a chance to prove that the trade was the right move for Boston.
Two games are on national TV this weekend, so NESN fans might miss out on the local broadcast fun. But the story is too big to ignore. Devers, the Sox, and the Giants are all part of a season that has turned upside down.
Check the schedule for Friday, August 21, when Webb faces Gray. The stats say Gray has the edge right now.
