MassLive.com reports that MLB will not suspend Red Sox manager Alex Cora for comments he made on Saturday. The league launched an investigation after Cora appeared to suggest Sunday that the Red Sox had tried to punch Aaron Judge in retaliation for Gerrit Cole intentionally punching Rafael Devers earlier in the game on Saturday. The investigation did not appear to produce any conclusive evidence sufficient to discipline Cora.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole Treated roughly The Tigers lost 7-1 to the Red Sox on Saturday. With New York leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, Cole intentionally walked Red Sox third baseman Devers with no runners on base and one out.Read the full story here).
While most people’s attention was focused on the oddity of the IBB, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had something else in mind. Specifically, he connected the dots from the walk to the first inning when Cole pitched to Devers. Cora’s theory was that the hit-by-pitch with the 0-1 cutter must have been intentional because Cole didn’t want to face Devers, as the intentional walk indicated.
“His first at-bat, we felt like he hit it on purpose,” Cora said (via NESN ). “He doesn’t want to face him. That’s the bottom line. He told us he intentionally walked and hit him in his first at-bat. We’ll leave it at that. Then he had to face him with the bases loaded.”
As Cora pointed out, Devers’ third at-bat came with the bases loaded, and with nowhere to stand, Cole allowed a two-RBI single.
“We protested (the hit pitch) because it was obvious he didn’t want to play against him,” Cora said. “It was intentional. I’m not backing down. It was intentional.”
In the sixth inning of Saturday’s game, Red Sox starting pitcher Brian Bello faced Aaron Judge and threw his first pitch behind the knee, causing the Yankees slugger to miss. On Sunday, Cora seemed to acknowledge that that’s when the Red Sox were intentionally trying to hit Judge to tie the game.
“It ended around the sixth inning (Saturday). We had our chances, but it just didn’t happen.”
Prior to Saturday, Devers had 14 hits (.341) in 41 at-bats against Cole, with one double and eight home runs (regular season and postseason combined). All eight home runs came between 2021 and 2024. The last time the two faced off was on July 6, when Devers homered in his third at-bat against Cole.