San Francisco Giants vs Boston Red Sox Picks and Predictions June 22nd 2025

Devers’ First Giants Homer Sets Stage for Rubber Match vs. Former Red Sox Team

The storyline that has dominated the baseball world this week will come to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday afternoon in San Francisco. Just one week after being shockingly traded from the only organization he’d ever known, superstar third baseman Rafael Devers will lead his new team, the San Francisco Giants, into a rubber match against his old team, the Boston Red Sox. After splitting the first two emotionally charged games, the series finale offers a chance for one side to claim ultimate bragging rights in this new, personal chapter of an old interleague rivalry.

The Devers Effect: A New Home, A New Homer

The transition to San Francisco was not immediately smooth for Rafael Devers. After the blockbuster trade sent shockwaves through the league, he started his Giants career just 3-for-16, perhaps feeling the weight of a new city and a new uniform. But on Saturday, the moment Giants fans had been waiting for finally arrived. In a savvy managerial move, Bob Melvin bumped Devers up to the second spot in the batting order. The move paid off instantly. In the first inning, the new number three hitter, Heliot Ramos, hit a home run. Two innings later, Devers got into the act, launching an opposite-field, two-run shot for his 16th homer of the season and his first as a Giant.

The home run was not just a display of power, but a sign of a high-level hitter adapting to his new surroundings. Rather than try to pull the ball into the challenging deep right field of Oracle Park, Devers went with the pitch. “That’s kinda typical him — let (the pitch) travel, catch it late and block it out to left field,” Melvin said. “He’s done it so many times in Boston, and this park kinda plays that way to lefties as well.”

For Melvin, the home run was significant for another reason: it allows his new star to relax. “You get one (homer),” he said, “and now kinda settle in and do his thing.”

“Winning Solves Everything”: The View from Boston

While the Giants are basking in the glow of their new acquisition, the Red Sox are focused on proving they are more than just one player. Trading a franchise cornerstone like Devers could have sent the clubhouse into a tailspin, but Boston has responded with professionalism and grit. They are 3-2 since the trade and have a chance to win a second consecutive road series against a tough opponent. Their mentality was perfectly captured by Sunday’s starting pitcher, Lucas Giolito, after the team’s first win in the post-Devers era.

“Winning solves everything,” Giolito said of the team’s mood after a long and emotional day. “We were able to come together and maintain a very positive attitude. When it came (time) to compete, we competed.” That business-like approach shows a team determined to write its own narrative, a fascinating dynamic often analyzed in our expert betting guide. A series win in San Francisco would be a massive statement that the Red Sox are moving forward successfully.

Giolito on the Mound: A Familiar Foe

Lucas Giolito (3-1, 4.73 ERA) was the perfect pitcher to set the tone for the new-look Red Sox, delivering a masterpiece of six shutout innings with ten strikeouts in his last start. Now, he gets the ball in the pivotal rubber match, and he’ll have a very familiar face staring back at him from the batter’s box. Giolito and Devers have a history, with Devers having hit a home run off him back in 2023. This individual showdown between the former teammates adds another layer of intrigue to an already dramatic game.

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The Giants’ Ace Looks to Rebound

While Giolito looks to continue his success, the Giants will send their own ace to the mound in lefty Robbie Ray (8-2, 2.68 ERA). Ray has been San Francisco’s most consistent winner this season, but he’s looking to get back on track after a slight cool-down from his blazing 7-0 start. In his last four outings, he has just one win. He has a solid career record against Boston and will be tasked with shutting down his new teammate’s old club to secure a massive series victory.

The Deciding Game

Sunday’s finale is packed with storylines. It features a premier pitching matchup between two proven veterans in Giolito and Ray, a duel that will be the top focus on the scores and odds board. But all eyes will truly be on every at-bat taken by Rafael Devers. For two organizations and fanbases, this game is about more than just one win in June. It’s the first chapter in a new story for two of the most historic MLB teams. To see who our experts think will win this dramatic finale, check out our daily MLB picks.