Major League Baseball is investigating comments made by Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora regarding a possible attempt by the New York Yankees to intentionally hit Rafael Devers, to which the Red Sox allegedly responded by targeting Aaron Judge.
Cora made a strong admission by suggesting that the Yankees had intentionally hit Devers, and that the Red Sox had responded in kind. MLB‘s investigation is focused on determining whether Cora’s comments are substantiated and whether the teams involved acted inappropriately. The league is reviewing the situation and has not yet made a decision, according to the New York Post.
“I felt like in the first at-bat, he hit him on purpose,” said Cora (via NESN). “He doesn’t want to face him, that’s the bottom line. He told us with the intentional walk that in the first at-bat, he hit him. We’ll leave it at that. After that, he had the bases loaded and had to face him.”
As Alex Cora pointed out, with the bases loaded, Cole had no choice but to face Devers again. The Dominican took advantage of the opportunity and hit a two-run RBI single. “We took exception to (the HBP) because it was loud and clear that he didn’t want to face him,” Cora said. “It was intentional, I’m not going to back off. It was intentional.”
Aaron Judge 99 is rounding the bases after homering during the sixth inning of the baseball game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. IMAGO / NurPhoto
What happened in the game between the Yankees and Red Sox?
The incident occurred during a game between the Yankees and Red Sox. In the fourth inning, Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole intentionally decided to walk Rafael Devers. However, Cora claimed that Cole had hit Devers on purpose in a previous inning and that the intentional walk was a sign of it.
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In the sixth inning, Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello threw a pitch near Aaron Judge‘s head. Cora appeared to admit that this pitch was a response to the hit Devers took in the fourth inning.
What was the Yankees’ response?
The Yankees have not issued an official statement on Cora’s comments. However, the team is likely following MLB‘s investigation closely and is prepared to respond if necessary.
