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"We do not have the time. We need hours to talk about it, "said Cora.
The thesis that followed lasted four minutes, which was more than enough to learn that Cora thought the Devers would soon be one of the elite players at his post.
Then the Sox played against the Houston Astros and Devers proved he may already be there.
Devers helped save a race with one of the best defensive games of his career in the third inning, hand-loading a ball hit slowly by Carlos Correa and throwing himself on the body for a withdrawal while Alex Bregman had the third goal.
"It was perfect, man," said Eduardo Rodriguez, who launched six strong innings. "Very good pitch, very good game from him, I think he saved me there."
Then Devers hit Justin Verlander's fastball over the center wall at the top of the fourth inning to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. They won 4-1.
In the playoffs, the Sox and Astros have played 18 games since the start of last season. The Sox scored another point. The difference in 10 games was one or two points.
It's a captivating baseball game and if we're lucky, these teams will meet in October, if only to see how good Devers is. Because it becomes clear, he can be a special player.
Devers was 2 for 4 and finished the road trip for 27 with four points, eight runs and eight runs in six games. He hit .377 with a 1,055 OPS in the last month to bring his skewed line to .330 / .393 / .508 for the season.
This places him firmly in the same company as Matt Chapman, star of Bregman and Oakland.
"No chance," said Devers, who answered the question with a mixture of Spanish and what is rapidly improving English. "I have more work to do."
Cora thinks that Devers has improved through an off – season program that has reshaped his body and a structured pre – game routine that has prepared him better at the plate and in the field.
Devers works harder in the cage before games than he used to, and almost always stays on the field before practicing batting by taking measurements on the ground and refining his fundamentals.
But Cora also wondered if it had anything to do with Devers cutting her hair. Her tinted blonde braids have been replaced by a very tight look.
"He cleaned up everything," said Cora.
Devers laughed when he heard this theory.
"I really liked my old haircut," he said.
Devers would become a productive hitter was expected. He is strong with an above-average bat speed that allows him to take the ball to the opposite field.
The defense was the question. Devers was a third-baseman below average last season and in April he was accused of a series of errors in routine games.
But over the past three weeks, working with coaches Carlos Febles and Ramon Vazquez, Devers has changed his perspective on slow rolls, attacking the team's ball after taking a quick first step.
"If your arms are in front of you, you will not be able to part with them if you need a bit of a rebound," Mitch Moreland said. "You have to give yourself a little space."
The piece on Correa was an example.
"That's what it takes. It's rehearsing, working and studying with other guys, "said Cora. "We played [against] some good third bases in recent weeks. . . he's paying attention to these guys. He was amazing. He was really good. "
Cora, who loves the game, was particularly proud of the fact that Houston's players were closely monitoring Devers' entry to second on Saturday because they thought he was signaling the batter's pitch.
"He's 22 and he's in the game," said Cora.
But he is still the youngest player in the lineup. During a particularly tense match Saturday, Devers overtook Cora in search of bubblegum.
"He's having fun," said the manager. "I think everyone has seen it during the spring training. He was great and he wants to be great. "
Cora has boundless respect for Bregman, a player he helped frame in 2017, while he was the Houston bench coach. He wants Devers to aspire to this level.
"I know a lot of people also talk about Raffy in this category," said Cora. "It intensifies. I can continue to talk about Raffy. I am very proud of him. . . . He is a force. That's what we envisioned. "
You can contact Peter Abraham at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
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