As of Sunday morning, Alex Cora believed the drama between his Red Sox and the Yankees was over.
Not because his pitching staff did not intend to retaliate after Gerrit Cole hit Rafael Devers with a pitch Saturday, but because a Boston pitcher apparently already had attempted a form of retaliation against Aaron Judge.
Cora was angry after the Red Sox’s 7-1 win over the Yankees in The Bronx on Saturday because he believed Cole’s 0-1 cutter that drilled Devers in the first inning had intent.
Cole’s fourth-inning intentional walk to Devers made it “loud and clear,” Cora had said: Cole did not want to face Devers.
The Red Sox manager said he believed the matter was finished and did not anticipate further fireworks.
“It was closed [Saturday] around the sixth inning,” Cora said before the series finale. “We had our chance. It didn’t happen.”
In Saturday’s sixth inning, the first pitch Brayan Bello threw to Judge went behind the Yankees captain’s legs. Judge was not hit by a pitch, and neither was any Yankees hitter on the afternoon.
Cora said he spoke with Judge after the game and the conversation was “professional.”
