Taz Devils 3b Rafael Devers celebrated Memorial Day’s home-and-away series against the Beefers in grand fashion Monday, May 29, belting three-run HR in the ninth to lift the Devils to a 6-5 win in Game One and repeating his heroics in Game Two with a ninth-inning walkoff HR for a 4-3 Devils triumph. Both game winning homers came off Beefers closer Ryan Helsley.
In his past six games against the Beefers, Devers has piled up seven HRs in six straight games while hitting .480 (12-25) with 15 RBIs, along with 12 runs, two doubles and two walks.
The two wins moved the Tazzies (13-9) into a tie with the Tsunamis (13-9), both teams one game behind the league-leading Whatevers 13-7. The Beefers fell to 12-24 for the first half.
Game 1 Devils 6, Beefers 5 at Beefers
The Beefers buiit up a 5-0 lead in the first three innings, only to see the Devils climb back into the game with a two-run HR by Rafael Devils in the fifth and then go on to win the game in the top of the ninth with a three-run HR off Beef closer Ryan Helsley.
The Beefs wasted no time getting to Taz starter Tyler Anderson with Dansby Swanson hitting a two-run HR in the first and added two more in the third on a solo HR by Matt Olson and an RBI double by Jon Berti, putting them ahead 5-0.
After that, it was all Rafael Devils, with his 2R HR off Beefer righty Max Scherzer and his game winner in the ninth off Helsley. Aaron Judge added a run for the Devils in the sixth with a solo HR.
Devils 6-7-3 WP Brad Hand. HR Rafael Devers 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, Aaron Judge.
Beefers 5-12-1 LP- Ryan Helsley 1-2. HR Matt Olson #6, Dansby Swanson #7.
Game 2 Devils 4, Beefers 3 at Devils
In an eerier repetition of Game One, Rafael Devers hitting a one-out HR off Ryan Helsley in the bottom of the ninth for a Devils come-from-behind 4-3 win.
In a hint that it might not be the Beefers day, Devils LF Randy Arozarena hit a leadoff HR off Joe Musgrove to put the Devils out in front 1-0. The Beefs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a 2R HR by Matt Olson, his second home run in two games, but the Devils tied at 2-2 in tehfifth on an RBI double by Arozarena and then went ahead 3-2 in the eighth on a solo shot by Judge, his second in two games.
With Edwin Diaz on for the Devils in the ninth, the Beefs tied the game 3-3 on a double by Marcus Semien and an RBI single by Alex Verdugo
With Ryan Helsley on to nail down the win, Devers stepped to the plate with one out and ended the game with a solo HR…his second straight game ninth inning game-winning HR in two games.
Beefers 3-6-2 LP- Ryan Helsley 1-3. HR Matt Olson #7.
Devils 4-8-0 W- Edwin Diaz. HR Rafael Devers (walk off HR), Arozarena (leadoff HR).