New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has once joked that Boston Red Sox All-Star Rafael Devers is his weakness, and the numbers in head-to-head matchups between pitchers and sluggers speak for themselves.
But the Red Sox didn't expect Cole, who was replaced early Saturday afternoon, to hold up four fingers to signal an intentional walk when Devers came up to bat in his second at-bat.
The Red Sox outplayed Cole in that inning and then removed him from the game soon after, but they didn't hold back their feelings about the right-hander giving Devers a free pass.
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New York manager Aaron Boone receives the ball from starting pitcher Gerrit Cole during a pitching change in the top of the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
“I thought he showed a lot of weakness with that move,” Boston starting pitcher Brian Bello said through translator Carlos Viloria Benitez after the Red Sox's 7-1 win.
Added Devers himself, via Benitez: “I was surprised by him. I didn't expect that from a future Hall of Famer and I think there was a little bit of panic.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora even believes Cole intentionally hit Devers in his first at-bat.
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“He doesn't want to face him, that's the bottom line,” Cora said. Via ESPN“He told us he intentionally walked in his first at-bat.”
At the time of the intentional walk, the Yankees were leading 1-0 after a single by Gleyber Torres in the previous inning, but Cole's performance dwindled in the top of the fourth.
Cole, whose only runner on the game before he walked Devers with one out, reached base on 10 of his next 12 batters and the runs started to come in. It started with an RBI double by Yoshida Masanao (the first hit Cole allowed in the game) that scored Devers, and then in his next at-bat, Willier Abreu singled to bring home two more runs.
The Red Sox gave up four more runs to Cole in the top of the fifth, but the Yankees saw a lack of confidence and control from their ace, who struck out three batters with a career-high hit by pitch and allowed his most runs in a game since June 9, 2022.
And Devers got his revenge on Cole, sending two runners home in the inning with a hit over the ropes to right-center field. With the bases loaded, Cole had to throw to Devers, who waited for a hanging knuckle curveball and sent it flying into the outfield.
“It was just a tough day,” Cole said after the game.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers hit a two-run single against New York at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
“They got some momentum going, and that fired them up,” Cole added of the intentional walk to Devers. “Looking back on it, I think it was the wrong move.”
Of course, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked why he intentionally walked Devers with one out and no bases on base in a game that Cole appeared to be winning comfortably. Boone said he had discussed the possibility of walking Cole before the game, even though the right-hander hadn't walked a batter in seven years.
But Cole went into the clubhouse tunnel before the top of the fourth to discuss the intentional walk with pitching coach Matt Brake before Devers came to bat.
“It caught us a little off guard,” Cole catcher Austin Wells said, “we thought we had some good momentum.”
“When we scored, we wanted to go at them, but obviously we didn't get that across,” Boone added.
Either way, the Red Sox, who had lost 5-4 the night before at Yankee Stadium after Aaron Judge hit a game-winning grand slam, needed momentum if they wanted to keep their postseason dreams alive.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole reacts to the game against the Boston Red Sox. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
While the Yankees are battling the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East title, the Red Sox are hoping to slip into the postseason with one of the AL's three wild card spots. Yesterday's win moved them to within 3.5 games of the last spot held by the Minnesota Twins.
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The Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners are both one game ahead of Boston.
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