NEW YORK Rafael Devers watched in shock as Gerrit Cole extended his pitching hand four fingers and gestured to first base. After keeping the first ten Red Sox hitters off the plate, the New York Yankees pitcher intentionally walked Boston’s struggling star while there was nobody on base.
Then Boston thoroughly embarrassed Cole and the Yankees.
The Red Sox defeated New York 7-1 on Saturday thanks to runs scored in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and a two-run single by Devers.
“They seized the initiative. It motivated them,” Cole remarked. “I think, looking back, it’s the wrong move.”
Cole hadn’t issued an intentional walk in seven years, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone claimed that he and Cole talked about using intentional walks more aggressively before the game. In order to get the starter farther into the game on a day when the Yankees’ bullpen was thin, Cole claimed he discussed the notion with pitching coach Matt Blake while in the tunnel prior to the fourth inning.
Austin Wells, the catcher for the Yankees, was not informed of the plan.
He admitted, “I was a little taken off guard.” “Thought he had some good momentum.”
Wells never considered trying to persuade Cole to change his mind.
“We’re not serious. Wells suggested, “Actually, we don’t walk him. “I don’t know if that’s a thing.”
After the game, Cole and Boone both took abnormally extended times to talk with media.
It was “just a rough day,” Cole added.
It was Cole’s (6-5) highest run total since June 9, 2022, with seven. He proceeded after 4⅓ innings, having hit three batters in his career.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, on Saturday was the first time a Yankees pitcher intentionally walked a batter with the bases empty and less than two outs since intentional walks were made legal in 1955.
Through a translator, Devers stated, “He caught me off guard.” “I didn’t expect that from a future Hall of Famer and I feel like he panicked a little bit.”
Cole hit Devers with a cutter in the first inning, but he retired nine of the next ten batters, enabling his lone hitter to reach.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora stated, “I felt like he hit him on purpose the first at-bat.” “He is unwilling to confront him. That’s the main point. He purposefully walked to tell us that he hit him in his first at-bat.”
The Yankees were ahead 1-0 thanks to an RBI single by Gleyber Torres in the third inning at the time of the intentional walk.
“I would have preferred to attack them after we scored the run. However, it’s evident that I didn’t communicate effectively enough, stated Boone.
Ten out of twelve batters reached base against the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, beginning with the intentional walk.
Triston Casas of Boston described Cole’s choice as “just odd.”
With Cole, Devers was 14 for 41 (.316) with eight home runs and fifteen strikeouts, including in the postseason. According to ESPN Stats & Information, his 1.410 career OPS against Cole is the fourth-highest among players with at least 10 plate appearances against Cole.
“Obviously, Raffy has had some success against him, but that’s something Cole needs to work through, reminding himself that in the next 40 or 50 at-bats, he could dominate because he’s Gerrit Cole,” Boone said. “There’s a mental aspect to all of this.”
Boston’s first hit, an RBI double by Masataka Yoshida into the left-field corner, tied the game at 1 after Devers stole second. Following Casas’ groundout to end the inning, Wilyer Abreu hit a two-run single to start the next.
“If I make pitches after that and I continue to execute at a high level, then the plan works,” Cole stated. But it seems that the scheme was unsuccessful. Therefore, for it to succeed, I need to make stronger pitches thereafter.”
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Barry Bonds against the Pirates on August 10, 2002, deliberately walked a batter with the bases empty and less than two outs in the fourth inning, the earliest in a game ever. In the fourth inning, with his team behind 1-0, Bonds was also hit by a walk with one out and no men on.
The first two bases-empty intentional walks in New York history were in the sixth inning, to Frank Howard of the Washington Nationals by Fritz Peterson with two outs on April 22, 1970, and Al Simmons of the Philadelphia Athletics by Roy Sherid leading off on September 22, 1930.
On Saturday, Trevor Story led off the fifth inning with a single, stole second, Danny Jansen walked, and Enmanuel Valdez flied out to score third. After a pitch hit Jarren Duran, loading the bases, Devers lined a knuckle-curve to right to give his team a 5-1 lead. After Yoshida produced a two-run single to chase Cole after Tyler O’Neill was hit by a pitch.
“Obviously, since it didn’t work out as planned, I think we all wish we could have made a different choice on some things,” Boone said. “But in the end, we missed key pitches when we had chances, and it cost us today.”
