After losing a three-game series, 2-1 to the New York Yankees, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and his team are under MLB investigation. Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello tried to hit Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the 6th inning of Saturday’s 7-1 win against the Yankees. After Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole hit Red Sox outfielder Rafael Devers in the first inning, Cora alluded to Bello’s first pitch to Judge thrown behind his legs in the sixth inning as retaliation, per the New York Post’s Mark Sanchez.
“It was closed [Saturday] around the sixth inning,” Cora said before the series finale. “We had our chance. It didn’t happen.”
In frustration after Saturday’s win, Cora says watching Cole walk Devers in the fourth inning made it “loud and clear” that he had no intentions of pitching to Devers. Still, these remarks from the Red Sox manager have sparked an MLB investigation. The league is reviewing the situation.
In a highlight of Bello’s pitch to Judge, you can notice how close he was to hitting Judge in his legs per The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner’s X, formerly Twitter.
Alex Cora basically admitted that Brayan Bello tried plunking Aaron Judge on purpose. He was asked if he considered yesterday's IBB/HBP fiasco closed: "It was closed yesterday around the sixth inning. We had our chance. It didn't happen."
After beating the Red Sox 5-4 in the series opener on Friday, the Yankees beat Boston 5-2 in Sunday’s finale for their second win in three tries. Judge went 1-for-2 with two walks, 2 RBIs, and one home run.
Aaron Judge responds to Red Sox throwing at him
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke briefly with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge after Saturday’s win. Cora said the talk between the two was “professional,” and while Judge understood frustration was brewing for the Red Sox, he had a suggestion for Boston’s pitchers, per the New York Post’s
“You play this game for a while, things like that happen,” Judge said after homering in a Yankees win Sunday in The Bronx. “I know they’re upset. I think three of their guys got hit that day. I think they’re just protecting their players. Something’s gotta happen. That’s the way this game gets policed and has been policed for 100 years.
“I think the biggest thing is, just don’t miss when you do it.”
By Sunday, before the Red Sox took on the Yankees in their series finale, Cora assumed the feud between Judge and the Red Sox had ended with Saturday’s win. But that certainly wasn’t the case, as we’ll wait to see if the MLB will hand down punishments following the situation as the Red Sox remain 4.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third and final spot in the AL Wild standings.
