BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 18-7 drubbing of the St. Louis Cardinals, resulting in their fifth win in a row, and a series sweep.

1) It’s safe to say the Rafael Devers Watch is over. After a poor start to the season, Devers first started stirring in the second game in Baltimore, and now, he might be the team’s hottest hitter. Devers supplied his first homer of the season in the afternoon game, then collected four more hits and a walk in the nightcap. He’s now hit in five straight, going 10-for-19 in that stretch. In the fifth inning, he narrowly missed his connecting for his second homer of the day, belting a double high off the wall in left-center.

2) Devers wasn’t the only one enjoying a four-hit night. Alex Bregman had one too with a single, two doubles and a homer, knocking in a total of six runs. When the Red Sox signed Bregman, it was with the knowledge that he had always hit well at Fenway and his first homestand has only reinforced that notion.

3) Hunter Dobbins didn’t dazzle, but he did give the Red Sox what they needed — five strong innings, of which he allowed two runs while scattering eight hits. The first inning was a rocky one as the Cards had a couple of hard-hit balls and a walk lead to a run, but he mostly settled down thereafter. Most important, he allowed the Sox to stay out of their bullpen until the sixth on a day in which they were playing two and during a stretch in which their next off-day isn’t for another 11 days.

4) Left field was a tricky place for Red Sox outfielders Sunday night. In the fourth inning, Jarren Duran had difficulty tracking a ball in the corner, near the wall in front of the left field grandstand. Duran was lifted after six innings of the blowout, replaced by Rob Refsnyder, who couldn’t come up with a fly ball on the line, overrunning it as it dropped in for Lars Nootbaar. That play was ruled an error on Refsnyder.

5) As if to remind everyone that he’s not all about offense, Gold Glove outfielder Wilyer Abreu, who drove home the game-winner in the afternoon game, recorded his second assist of the season in the second game. With Lars Nootbaar on first with one out in the top of the third, Willson Contreras drove a ground single to right. Abreu charged the ball and uncorked a strong, low throw that beat Nootbaar to the bag at third. Abreu led all American League right fielders with nine assists last season.

6) Carlos Narvaez continues to make the best of his opportunities. Starting the nightcap after Connor Wong caught all 10 innings of the opener, Narvaez stroked a double to left in the second inning and later came around to score the second run of a five-run inning. He added a a second double to left in the sixth. If Narvaez keeps swinging it like he has in the first week, he could cut into Wong’s playing time.

7) Ceddanne Rafaela, who had been off to a slow start, broke out some and supplied three singles and a walk from the No. 9 spot in the order. Rafaela twice singled to right field and beat out an infield hit in the seventh. Through the first week, he had met with little success at the plate, though Alex Cora took some solace in the fact that Rafaela had been mostly swinging at strikes. The Red Sox have been trying to get the outfielder to be more selective at the plate. He showed some of that in spring training but had little to show for his approach in the first week of play – until Sunday night.

8) The Toronto Blue Jays come to town Monday for a four-game series. The Red Sox will send RHP Richard Fitts (1-0, 4.50) out to face LHP Easton Lucas (1-0, 0.00). Lucas will be just the second lefty starter the Red Sox have faced in their first 11 games.