Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora will not face a suspension from MLB after suggesting that pitcher Brayan Bello intentionally threw at New York Yankees star Aaron Judge during Saturday’s game, as reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
In the sixth inning of the Red Sox’s 7-1 victory, Bello’s first pitch went behind Judge. The New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez reported that MLB was looking into Cora’s comments regarding a potential act of retaliation following an earlier incident where Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole hit Red Sox batter Rafael Devers.
Cora claimed the hit-by-pitch was intentional and noted that Cole chose to intentionally walk Devers in the fourth inning despite the bases being empty. Devers had a strong track record against Cole, hitting .333 with eight home runs in 39 at-bats.
After the game, Cora expressed that he wasn’t surprised by Cole’s decision to walk Devers, saying, “He doesn’t want to face him. That’s the bottom line.” When asked if he thought the situation was resolved, Cora responded that it was “closed” after the sixth inning.
Bello’s pitch to Judge reached 97.4 miles per hour. According to Cotillo, MLB interviewed Cora about his remarks and concluded that no suspension would be announced.
Judge responded to Cora’s comments by indicating that such incidents are part of how players protect each other in the game.
Ultimately, the Yankees got the better of the Red Sox, winning 5-2 on Sunday and taking three out of four games in the series.
