NEW YORK – As reporters filtered into the visiting manager’s office at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Alex Cora was not pleased.
Following a 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox manager did not hide his emotions on Yankees ace Gerrit Cole hitting Rafael Devers in the first inning and then intentionally walking him in the fourth.
“I felt like the first at-bat, he hit him on purpose. He doesn’t want to face him, that’s the bottom line,” a visibly angry Cora said. “We took exception to that because it was loud and clear that he didn’t want to face him.”
A bizarre series of events in the fourth inning turned a 1-0 Yankees lead into a 3-1 deficit as the Red Sox took advantage and didn’t look back.
It might be worth backing up a few days to offer some context to the situation.
On a Hispanic Heritage Day at Yankee Stadium last week, Cole was asked to name the toughest Latin hitter he’s ever faced. Before the question was even finished, he replied: “Rafael Devers.”
On Hispanic Heritage Day, Gerrit Cole was asked which Latin hitter has given him the most trouble in his career:
“Rafael Devers” 😂 pic.twitter.com/RAXLVIRaJj
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 10, 2024
It was a clip that made the rounds on the internet, for Devers has crushed Cole to the tune of a .350 average (14-for-40) with eight homers, the most home runs Cole has given up to any batter in his 12-year, Cy Young Award-winning career.
So when Devers stepped to the plate in the first inning on Saturday and Cole plunked the left-handed hitter on the elbow pad, it was odd, but not particularly noteworthy. That is, until the fourth inning.
With the Yankees leading 1-0, Cole got the first out of the frame with Devers stepping into the box. With a displeased look on his face, Cole glanced at the Yankees dugout and put up four fingers, signaling an intentional walk. Cole hadn’t issued an intentional walk since 2017. The Red Sox slugger glanced back at the umpire in disbelief before taking his base.
The last time a Red Sox player had walked with the bases empty was David Ortiz in 2016. In fact, a bases-empty intentional walk has only happened four other times in Red Sox history: twice to Manny Ramirez, once to Carl Yastrzemski and once to Ted Williams.
Most recent Red Sox to be walked intentionally with the bases empty:
Rafael Devers – 9/14/2024 at NYY
David Ortiz – 6/19/2016 vs. SEA
Manny Ramirez – 6/5/2001 vs. DET
Manny Ramirez – 5/13/2001 vs. OAK
Carl Yastrzemski – 5/2/1970 vs. CAL
Ted Williams – 9/6/1953 at PHI
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) September 14, 2024
“I never expect that from him,” Devers said through a team interpreter. “He’s a Hall of Famer and we know the type of pitcher he is. At the same time, it gave us the opportunity for us to score some runs and that’s what we did.”
Devers, not known for his speed, immediately took off for second and slid in safely. Then the inning quickly unraveled on Cole. He walked Tyler O’Neill, then gave up an RBI single to Mastaka Yoshida before a two-run single to Wilyer Abreu, making it 3-1. The Red Sox tacked on two more runs in the fourth when Cole loaded the bases ahead of Devers’ third plate appearance. This time Devers slapped a two-run single to right. Cole hit O’Neill, then Yoshida singled to plate two more runs, making it 7-1 and knocking Cole out of the game after 4 1/3 innings.
“He only knows what happened out there,” Devers said. “I just go out there and try to do the best and give the best I can but at the same time I also know how he feels about me and that’s something that makes me proud and happy.”
Cole and Yankees manager Aaron Boone claimed the fourth-inning intentional walk was part of a game plan against Devers, given Devers’ career numbers against Cole. But the fact that Devers also has 15 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances against Cole made the move all the more perplexing.
“We had discussed the days prior to and during the game strategically walking him because of the past success that he’s had,” Cole said.
“If I make pitches after that and I continue to execute at a high level then the plan works,” he added. “Evidently, the plan didn’t work. I need to make better pitches afterwards in order for it to work.”
Boone suggested given the fact the Yankees had a lead, he should have changed the plan.
“It’s something we’ve talked about in the days leading up, just being a little more aggressive in some non-traditional scenarios where you’re going to intentionally put somebody on,” he said. “I think Gerrit felt convicted in that moment, like, ‘Hey, let’s go with this.’ But once we scored the run, I should have been more demanding, like, no, let’s get after him right now.”
Asked if perhaps they were overthinking the situation with Devers, Boone agreed.
“I think that’s fair,” he said.
Cole, meanwhile, insisted he did not hit Devers intentionally in the first, but Cora and Devers’ teammates weren’t as convinced.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” said starter Brayan Bello, who allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings. “I feel like (Cole) showed a lot of weakness in that move.”
“I don’t know if it was intentional but the next at-bat being an intentional walk with nobody on was suspicious, to say the least, in terms of the intention of the first at-bat,” first baseman Triston Casas said. “If there’s any question, we’ve got to err on the side of protecting our guy for sure, and Raffy is the cornerstone of this organization, and we all know the history between the matchup, so we just want to take the precautions necessary in terms of protecting our guy.”
Cora was more forthright.
“Raffy got hit. They can say whatever they want,” Cora added. “The intentional walk was loud and clear, ‘I don’t want to face him.’ So the second pitch of the game against Raffy, you see it. It was intentional. I’m not gonna back off. It was intentional.”
Nevertheless, it fired up the Red Sox, one night after they’d lost a late lead following a crushing grand slam from Aaron Judge. A taxed Red Sox bullpen got reinforcements before Saturday’s game with Zack Kelly and Cam Booser optioned and Bailey Horn and Zach Penrod added to the roster. Both relievers entered the game — Penrod, who signed with the Red Sox last summer out of independent baseball, made his big league debut.
Whether or not the tensions of Saturday have any effect on the Red Sox and their dwindling hopes for the postseason remains to be seen. After Saturday’s game, the Red Sox sat four games back of the third wild-card spot with 13 to play.
“We’ve been joking around for a while here that the season has been over 15 times, and the next day they show up again and they win a ballgame,” Cora said. “So let’s find a way to win a good ballgame tomorrow and enjoy the off day on Monday.”
(Photo of Rafael Devers: Brad Penner / USA Today)
