Rafael Devers has his Red Sox mentors

Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts are steady voices for the 22-year-old, who is starting his second full season in the big leagues.

BOSTON -- Rafael Devers finds a pair of willing mentors at their lockers every time he looks to his right in the Red Sox home clubhouse.

Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts are steady voices for the 22-year-old, who is starting only his second full season in the big leagues. Both helped play a role in the walkoff single knocked into right field by Devers in the bottom of the ninth inning on Thursday, as Boston rallied to a 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays.

“The thing with Raffy is he’s very genuine,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s a good kid. We all care about him.”

Moreland and Devers share a corner infielder’s perspective on defense and a left-handed hitter’s approach on offense. Moreland hasn’t been shy about offering Devers some tips, working through a language barrier with the Spanish-speaking native of the Dominican Republic.

“That’s a great relationship,” Cora said. “I don’t know if they understand each other language-wise, but baseball-wise they do – which is great.”

Bogaerts and Devers both came to the club as teenagers through the ranks of international free agency. Bogaerts was signed from Aruba as a 16-year-old and, like Devers, made his Boston debut as a 20-year-old. Both celebrated winning their first World Series rings just past legal drinking age.

“He’s the only one that can relate with Raffy,” Cora said. “To come here when you’re 19 and trying to win a World Series, he’s the only one in that clubhouse who can relate to that.”

Bogaerts stepped in after Devers popped out to end the seventh inning. He swung at a first-pitch curveball from Blue Jays left-hander Thomas Pannone and sent a flare just in front of the third-base dugout, stranding the potential tying run in a 5-4 game.

“He’s so hard on himself that sometimes it carries to the next at-bat or carries to the field,” Cora said. “I saw Xander be like, ‘Just relax. You’ve got one left.’”

Once Devers digs into the batter’s box, however, it’s a different story. He’s been known to slam his helmet or bat on the dirt surrounding home plate, something Cora interprets as passion let loose. Devers has also been caught uttering a few words not fit for print – and, oddly enough, doing so in English.

“I laugh with him,” Cora said. “I’m like, ‘How come when you get upset everything comes out in English in the batter’s box?’ And it’s not clean.

“But he’s awesome. I love that kid.”

Praise for Pedey: It was a genuine moment of appreciation from Nathan Eovaldi.

The right-hander took the mound for the first time Thursday night with Dustin Pedroia behind him. The second baseman was involved in three of the four inning-ending double plays turned while Eovaldi labored through his five frames.

“He’s unbelievable,” Eovaldi said. “That was a big thing, too. They’d get a runner on base and we were able to get a double-play ball after that and try to keep my pitch count down.”

Pedroia was the pivot man in the first and second and fed Bogaerts for a 4-6-3 twin-killing in the fourth. He also added an RBI single in a three-run third inning, as Boston immediately cut into a 5-0 deficit.

“That was pretty cool for him to be involved,” Cora said. “We’re very pleased with where he’s at right now.”

Friday served as a bit of a reminder that Pedroia must be handled with care. He managed just three games last season due to his troublesome left knee and was given the night off Friday for the opener of the four-game series with the Orioles.

“He feels that he can play 162 (games),” Cora said. “We’ve just got to be careful with him. It’s smart from our end.”

“I don’t feel like I did last year,” Pedroia said following Tuesday’s 7-5 defeat against Toronto. “I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be able to play.”

Around the bases: Cora announced Hector Velazquez as the starting pitcher for the Red Sox in Monday’s Patriots’ Day matinee with Baltimore. He fired three innings in a spot start at Arizona on Sunday, a 1-0 Boston victory. Chris Sale will start Tuesday night when the Red Sox visit the Yankees. … Utility man Brock Holt (right eye) and pitcher Brian Johnson (left elbow) have yet to resume baseball activities. There is no timetable for their respective returns from the injured list. … Relief pitcher Marcus Walden picked up his second victory Thursday. Boston’s starters entered Friday as the only rotation in the big leagues yet to record a win.