Anyone who thought Rafael Devers wouldn’t homer against the Red Sox this weekend wasn’t familiar with the slugger’s game.

Likewise for anyone who thought Devers wouldn’t eventually find a Red Sox fastball he could clobber.

Devers’ first home run in a Giants uniform, combined with yet another Red Sox error, proved the difference in his new team’s 3-2 victory over his former ball club.

Brayan Bello was largely effective in his 12th start of the season, striking out six and issuing one walk. It was his fourth consecutive start of at least six innings, his longest streak since he made seven such starts between June and July ‘23.

“He threw the ball well,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “Overall, gave us enough… We cannot complain.”

Bello allowed three runs on four hits, including a pair of homers by Heliot Ramos (solo) and Devers, but only one of the runs was earned; David Hamilton’s second error in as many games prolonged the bottom of the third and ensured there was a runner on base when Devers went yard.

“We expect him to be an elite defender,” Cora said of Hamilton. “Usually he’s able to handle it.”

The Boston bats did even less against Giants starter Landen Roupp, who yielded just three hits, three walks, and struck out seven in six shutout innings.

“We knew going into it he had good stuff, likes to mix different shapes, different pitch types,” rookie Roman Anthony told reporters of Roupp.

The Boston bullpen turned in yet another strong effort, with newcomer Jorge Alcala and Luis Guerrero contributing a perfect inning apiece. Red Sox relievers have been lights-out of late, combining for 19.2 scoreless innings over their last six games.

After making mincemeat of several San Francisco relievers on Friday night, however, the Red Sox couldn’t manage a baserunner against Randy Rodríguez and Tyler Rogers, who pitched the seventh and eighth, respectively. Boston didn’t have an extra-base hit before the ninth inning.

Facing Camilo Doval in the ninth, the Red Sox finally threatened. Anthony’s leadoff double was the lineup’s first extra-base hit of the afternoon. Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu followed with back-to-back singles, the latter getting Boston on the board at the eleventh hour.

“When you’re in a situation like that you’re just trying to do anything,” Anthony said.

When Nate Eaton came in to pinch-run for Abreu, the Giants gifted the Red Sox another run; as Eaton stole second, Story came home on a throwing error by catcher Andrew Knizner.

Marcelo Mayer’s ground-out advanced Eaton to third, but Romy Gonzalez didn’t have his usual pinch-hit magic and ground out to let the Giants off the hook.

The Red Sox are 40-38 overall, including 8-2 in their last 10 games. Yet they’re also 14-29 when opponents score first, 12-25 when they score less than four runs, 6-20 when they don’t homer, and 1-29 when they trail after the eighth inning. In one-run games, they’re 9-18.

In other words, whatever fight this team has, it’s usually not enough.

The series in San Francisco concludes Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.