Sun Sep 15 13:22:54 UTC 2024: ## Yankees’ Cole Walks Devers, Red Sox Respond With Ruthless Rally
**NEW YORK** – New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s decision to intentionally walk Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers backfired spectacularly on Saturday, igniting a Red Sox rally that ultimately led to a 7-1 victory.
The move, which came with one out in the fourth inning, was seen by the Red Sox as a sign of weakness from Cole, who had been dominant up to that point. “I feel like he showed a lot of weakness in that move,” said Boston starter Brayan Bello. “I didn’t expect that from a future Hall of Famer, and I feel like he panicked a little bit,” added Devers, who was caught off guard by the intentional walk.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora echoed his players’ sentiments, suggesting Cole had intentionally hit Devers in his first at-bat to avoid facing him again. “He doesn’t want to face him. That’s the bottom line,” Cora said.
The Red Sox capitalized on Cole’s decision immediately. Following the walk, Cole surrendered 10 hits in the next 12 batters, giving up a total of six runs over the next two innings. Devers himself got his revenge, driving in two runs with a single in the fifth inning.
“Just a rough day,” admitted Cole, acknowledging the decision to walk Devers as a mistake. “They grabbed the momentum. It inspired them.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, however, defended the decision, saying he and Cole had discussed the possibility of intentional walks prior to the game. Cole, however, ultimately made the call after consulting with pitching coach Matt Blake in the dugout.
The Red Sox victory not only dealt a blow to the Yankees’ AL East title hopes, but also provided a much-needed boost to their own postseason aspirations. The win moved Boston to 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final American League wild-card spot.
First Piper 