The Yankees are trying to move forward.
The Red Sox are reveling in the Gerrit Cole turmoil and using it to their advantage.
After Boston's eventful win on Saturday, Cole intentionally walked Rafael Devers with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, spurring the Red Sox to rally behind him, but manager Aaron Boone took the blame for a communication failure.
On Saturday, Boone said he would have preferred Cole play against Devers.
Cole said the team's plan, including a discussion in the tunnel with pitching coach Matt Brake the previous inning, also included an intentional walk.
The pitcher believed one thing and the manager believed another, a problem Boone took responsibility for.
“At the end of the day, I just pride myself on communicating at a really high level,” Boone said before the Yankees and Red Sox finished their series in the Bronx on Sunday.[Saturday] “We didn't do enough and that's my responsibility. So we're going to learn from it and we're going to grow from it and, hopefully, we can eliminate those grey areas.”
Catcher Austin Wells said he was “blindsided” by the intentional walk and was not involved in any meetings discussing strategy.
Boone said what sounds like a strange dynamic isn't strange at all.
“Austin's game planning has to do with how he attacks, how he gets outs, what pitches he throws,” Boone said. “So, [intentional walks] A lot of times it's a decision made on the spot from the dugout.”
Boone said he didn't want to “litigate” all the choices made 24 hours ago, and his counterpart, Red Sox manager Alex Cora, said he hopes his group continues to think about Saturday's events.
Boston was upset not only because Cole refused to pitch to Devers in the fourth inning, but also because Cole hit Devers with a cutter in the first inning. Cora said he believed there was intent behind the pitch, a signal that the Yankees ace didn't want to pitch to a slugger whose turn it was.
The Red Sox struck back against a frustrated pitcher, scoring seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings Saturday, and Cora will be hoping he carries that anger with him as his team enters Sunday's game seven games out of the wild card spot.
“If this [playoff run] Let's take a look back at what happened [Saturday]”And maybe we'll have Gerrit Cole to thank,” Cora said, acknowledging there's still a long way to go. “Hopefully, that happens and hopefully, we'll [Cole] Because in the playoffs, you have to pitch.”
Cole said he had no intention of digging into Devers, and Boone said the same thing and that he had spoken to Cora about it.
“I think it's the coach taking advantage of that moment a little bit to motivate his guys,” Boone said.
