4 takeaways as Rafael Devers hits 2 home runs and elevates Red Sox to victory

What this means

The Red Sox, who play 29 of their first 32 games after All-Star Break against the American League, are now the best in the Major League 26-12 against teams in their division. The Tampa Bay Rays also won 10-5 over the Cleveland Indians, so the Red Sox still maintain a one-game lead.

Boston has now won 11 of its last 13 home games, is 31-20 against teams with record wins and has a record 31 Major League wins.

The Red Sox went to 53-7 when they scored four or more points. They are 7-31 when they score three or less.

Take away food

1. When Rodriguez started in the second inning, Phillips Valdez entered the game with runners in the second and third and no outs and struck out on the side to escape the jam. He hit a batter, but otherwise his command was excellent.

Valdez, who heard the news from the Red Sox last night, was officially recalled from the Worcester Triple-A today and arrived at the park around 3:30 p.m. on Friday. He apparently wasn’t fazed by the quick turnaround, allowing just one hit, no runs, one walk and seven strikeouts over three innings. The Red Sox were still trailing, 1-0, when he came out, but his composure helped them stay within striking distance.

He became the first Red Sox pitcher since Rich Garces in 1996 to allow three or fewer base runners with more than seven strikeouts in three innings in relief and lowered his ERA to 3.76 this season.

Cora called him “a big league pitcher” and said he was amazing against the Yankees. He said he is relentless and has a “rubber arm” which means he can throw many innings without exhausting himself.

“I told him if he needed 200 shots I could do it,” Valdez said through a translator. “I was ready to give whatever the team needed to get this victory today.”

2. After blocking a runner in second in the third and fourth, the Red Sox broke for three runs in a fifth pivot. Hernández barely missed a homerun against the Green Monster and settled for a long single that would likely have been a solo shot at any other Major League park.

Duran hit one in the spread which ended in a brace, then Hernández zoomed in on a sacrificial volley from Xander Bogaerts to tie the score at 1. Devers left no doubt, throwing a mammoth, 412 feet , two- Run Monster shot starter Gerrit Cole to give the Red Sox the lead.

“We didn’t win the game from the start, but we are winning sets,” Cora said.

3. Cole came in 10-4 with a 2.63 ERA. The Red Sox made him work most of the night, and eventually they exhausted him.

Cora said they played the “cat and mouse” game because of their familiarity with each other. He called him one of the top pitchers in the big leagues and said the fact that the Red Sox kept pace and ended up taking the lead behind their reliever box made it a rewarding victory.

Cole threw 104 shots. He threw first pitch strikes at 17 of 23 batters and struck out eight, but that ultimately didn’t matter when Devers took over.

“I know we didn’t score 20 points,” Cora said, “… but we fought.”

4. While the Red Sox had many contributors in the evening, including Duran, Hernández and the bullpen, the night belonged to Devers. He’s finished 2 for 4 with both home runs and five RBIs and has now hit four home runs in his last four games – all Red Sox wins.