Devers joins elite company

BOSTON — Rafael Devers and Ted Williams.

That’s it. That’s the list of Red Sox players who have scored 100 runs and driven in 100 runs in a single season before celebrating their 23rd birthday.

It’s been eight decades since Williams turned the trick in back-to-back years, reaching both marks in 1939 and 1940. Miguel Cabrera was the last player in the big leagues to do so, back in 2005. Williams is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and Cabrera almost certainly will be following his eventual retirement.

Which begs the question — where exactly is this going for Boston’s current third baseman? Devers has reached that very special point where his own teammates marvel at his accomplishments, the latest of which were secured in Sunday’s 13-7 rally past the hapless Orioles.

“Running out of stuff to say about him right now,” Mitch Moreland said. “It just seems like a bad day for him is 2-for-4 with a double. He’s been incredible.”

Devers started August a chilly 5-for-37 and finally seemed to be entering a bit of a rut after an extended hot streak. What’s followed is a 20-for-37 binge featuring eight doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI. His eight-game hitting streak includes a historic 6-for-6 performance on Tuesday in Cleveland and Sunday’s 4-for-5, four-RBI explosion against Baltimore.

“It’s funny, because 10 days ago or 15 days ago we were talking about him chasing pitches and being in a slump and all that stuff,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Now it seems like everything that’s in the zone, he’s hitting it hard. The quality of the at-bats is great.”

The Red Sox were in a 6-0 hole after the top of the third inning on Sunday and still attempting to claw back when Devers stepped to the plate in the sixth. Orioles left-hander Paul Fry threw five straight sliders and induced Devers to swing at all five. Four foul balls were followed by an RBI double off the Green Monster, snapping a 6-6 tie.

“Obviously you don’t want to be down that many runs, but we know the type of team that we have,” Devers said through translator Bryan Almonte. “We know that we have what it takes to get back into the ballgame.”

Devers hit just .229 with a .619 OPS against southpaws in 2018. He was platooned throughout most of the season with Eduardo Nunez, who has since found himself designated for assignment and released. Devers stripped most of Nunez’s playing time thanks to his significant improvement — he was hitting .288 with an .801 OPS against left-handers going into Sunday.

“Earlier in the year he was asking me what we were going to do against pitchers — me and him being left-handed hitters,” Moreland said. “Here lately I’m like, ‘Look, you tell me what I need to do.’ Because he’s doing everything right.”

Devers is reaping the rewards of a professional approach both before and during the season. He hired a nutritionist and worked out hard during the winter in his native Dominican Republic, reporting to Fort Myers early for spring training and in the best shape of his career. Devers has continued that attention to detail into his second full season with Boston.

“He’s been outstanding as far as his program throughout the season,” Cora said. “Working out, watching video — he’s been very disciplined.”

Boston’s players refer to Devers in the clubhouse by his nickname — Carita, or baby face. It seems somewhat appropriate he’d be the one after all this time to join The Kid in Red Sox history.