G34: Red Sox 9, Nationals 5

Nationals - 002 120 000 - 5 11  1
Red Sox   - 323 000 01x - 9 15  0

Rafael Devers went 4-for-4, with two home runs and three RBI, and Bobby Dalbec had two hits in his major league debut, including his first home run, a two-run shot in the third inning.

Boston took an early lead. Devers walked in the first and Xander Bogaerts hit his eighth home run of the year. Kevin Pillar doubled and Kevin Plawecki singled him in.

Dalbec led off the second by striking out in his first career plate appearance. But with two outs, Alex Verdugo doubled and Devers homered to right-center.

In the third, Washington scored twice, but the Red Sox scored thrice. Pillar singled and scored on Plawecki's double. Then Dalbec carved an 0-2 pitch inside the right field pole for a two-run dong. Boston led 8-2.

Dalbec is the ninth Red Sox player to homer in his debut and the first in more than a decade. Back on June 12, 2010, Daniel Nava hit a grand slam on the first pitch of his first at-bat. I can vividly remember that the bases were loaded for Nava's second career plate appearance, in the very next inning. Lightning did not strike twice, though. He struck out.

The Nats tried chipping away. Josh Harrison led off the fourth with a homer. Eric Thames went deep with two outs in the fifth and Adam Eaton tripled in Yan Gomes, who had walked. All five opposing runs were scored against Zach Godley (4.2-8-5-1-3, 85) and after he departed, the bullpen stopped the Nats' bats (and they had almost no RATS) (4.1-3-0-2-5).

Josh Osich gave up a couple of two-out singles in the sixth, but got an inning-ending force play. Leadoff walks in the seventh and eighth, as well as a two-out double in the ninth, were not costly.

Devers saw a total of 30 pitches in his five trips to the plate, including the two longest PAs of his career. He walked on 10 pitches (bcsbfbfffb) in the first inning and his eighth-inning home run came on the 10th pitch (sbfbbffff-HR). Previously, the most pitches Devers had seen in a plate appearance in his four seasons had been eight.

Austin Voth / Zach Godley

Verdugo, LF
Devers, 3B
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Pillar, RF
Plawecki, C
Bradley, CF
Dalbec, 1B
Peraza, 2B

Mitch Moreland was traded to the Padres this morning. Bobby Dalbec, 25 and one of the Red Sox's top prospects, will make his major league debut this afternoon.

The Red Sox received two prospects from San Diego, infielder Hudson Potts and outfielder Jeisson Rosario. MLB Pipeline ranks Potts at #16 in the Padres' farm system and Rosario at #19.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom:

Both these guys have a chance to be really exciting players. Very high upside, both of them. Pretty accomplished Minor League players at levels where they've been very young.

Ian Browne writes that Dalbec and Michael Chavis will share duties at first base, with Dalbec also spelling Rafael Devers at third.