The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees' latest series featured many staples of the rivalry. Between the battle in extra-innings, plunked batters, clubhouse spats and playoff implications, the weekend boasted its fair share of highlights.
But the Red Sox walked away with the series loss, the season series loss to New York, and a .500 record, once again. Regardless of the weekend's drama, they didn't play great baseball, and they haven't for weeks.
Alex Cora tried to get his team going after Saturday's interactions between Rafael Devers and Gerrit Cole. The slugger had been in Cole's head before his most recent start on Sept. 14 — days after he admitted Devers was the Latin hitter that's given him the most trouble in his career, Cole hit Devers with a pitch in his first at-bat and intentionally walked him with the bases empty later in the game. Boston made Cole pay on the field by posting three runs following the free pass, but Cora tried to turn it into something more.
“If , we’re going to look back at yesterday. We’re probably going to thank Gerrit Cole for getting us going," Cora said, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
Alex Cora couldn't rally the Red Sox around the rivalry as they drop season series to the Yankees
Alex Cora thinks yesterday's Cole-Devers incident could help spark getting the Red Sox into the playoffs pic.twitter.com/ck4a47evSe
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 15, 2024
The skipper tried to rally his squad around the rivalry series. He all but confirmed Brayan Bello attempted to hit Aaron Judge during an at-bat the following day. Boston's bats do need a pick-me-up — the Sox struck out 38 times over the four-game set in the Bronx — but Cora's attempt to wake up his club was short-sighted.
The Red Sox have not played playoff-caliber baseball in the last two months of the season, and postseason odds are not in their favor. Cora's rallying cry did the opposite of what the Sox needed; now they look even more in over their heads in the playoff race that was already a long shot for them.
Instead of looking at Cole's cowardice in front of Devers as a pivotal moment to capitalize on one of their opponent's weaknesses, Boston is now forced to see it as a squandered opportunity.