Red Sox manager Alex Cora will not be suspended for comments he made on Sunday about Boston potentially throwing at Yankees hitter Aaron Judge, Boston beat writer Chris Cotillo first reported.
Cora was asked by media before the Yankees and Red Sox played their weekend series finale at Yankee Stadium if the tension from the previous day would carry over to that afternoon’s game.
“It was closed [Saturday] around the sixth inning,” Cora recalled. “We had a chance. It didn’t happen. We need to go on. “That’s it.”
Cora appeared to be alluding to Boston reliever Brayan Bello’s pitch behind Judge’s legs in the sixth inning the day before. The pitch missed the Yankee captain, and the Red Sox did not seem to throw at him again.
“Playing this game for a while, things like that happen,” the judge commented. “I understand they were furious because three of their people were hit that day. They’re only safeguarding their athletes. Something’s got to happen. This is how the game is policed, and it has been for 100 years. The most important thing is to not miss when you do it.
The Red Sox manager has since stated that he spoke with Judge, and the conversation was “professional.”
The Yankees triumphed 5-2 on Sunday, taking three of four from their opponents and dealing a significant damage to Boston’s playoff chances. Before the Yankees traveled west to face the Seattle Mariners, New York manager Aaron Boone appeared to lash back at Cora.
“That’s not allowed,” he said. “That is for someone else to deal with. For the time being, we have finished playing with them. We’re headed to Seattle. Obviously, you cannot do it.”
