Photo: Rafael Devers' Home Run vs. Royals Breaks Seat at Red Sox's Fenway Park
July 14, 2024
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers broke a seat in Fenway Park with the two-run home run that powered his team to Sunday's 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Devers' fifth-inning hit measured 114.7 miles per hour off the bat, and its impact with the stands behind the right field prompted an incident report to be filed at Fenway Park.
"Devers home run ball hit so hard it broke the back of the chair," the report read, according to the team.
The home run marked the third hardest hit of Devers' career, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The ball travelled a projected 439 feet before hitting the seat.
Home Run Report @homerunreport⚾Rafael Devers, <a href="https://twitter.com/Rafael_Devers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rafael_Devers</a>! HR (23)<br><br>7/14/24 @ BOS, ⬇️ 1st<br>vs RHP Brady Singer<br><br>114.7 MPH / 25° / 439 ft to RF<br>Off a 84.1 MPH slider<br><br>▶️It's a home run in 30/30 parks.◀️<br><br>📺: <a href="https://t.co/d8i6vMAqcR">https://t.co/d8i6vMAqcR</a> <a href="https://t.co/QBeZsItSyB">pic.twitter.com/QBeZsItSyB</a>
It was Devers' 22nd home run of the season and the 194th homer of his Boston career. Devers had recently passed Jason Varitek for 11th on the franchise's all-time home run leaderboard.
The Red Sox have now improved to 9-3 in the month of July. The team will keep fighting to jump over the New York Yankees for second in the AL East, while Devers will continue managing the shoulder injury that will prevent him from representing the American League in the 2024 All-Star Game.
