Rafael Devers Rejects Theory About Former Red Sox Alex Verdugo

Alex Verdugo certainly leaned into some gamesmanship Saturday afternoon, but one of his former Red Sox teammates denied partaking in similar antics at Yankee Stadium.

Verdugo took his sweet time rounding the bases after he blasted a game-tying home run in the third inning. The veteran outfielder, who was traded by Boston to New York over the offseason, clearly enjoyed sticking it to his old club, much like he did last month at Fenway Park.

Rafael Devers gave the Red Sox a lead two innings after Verdugo’s blast, and many thought the star third baseman trolled his ex-teammate when he waved his arms toward left field as he jogged from second to third. But as Devers explained after the game, the gesture wasn’t aimed at Verdugo.

“It wasn’t directed at (Verdugo),” Devers told reporters through a translator, per the New York Post. “It was something that we do towards the bullpen. Everybody who hits a home run, they salute the bullpen, so it wasn’t anything to do with him.”

Even if Devers wanted to rub it in Verdugo’s face, it wouldn’t have mattered much. The Bronx Bombers put up six runs in the bottom of the fifth and never looked back in a 14-4 rout.

The longtime division rivals now will compete for a series victory in primetime. First pitch for Sunday’s series finale in the Big Apple is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.