Gerrit Cole’s Intentional Walk of Rafael Devers Backfires in Yankees’ 7-1 Loss to Red Sox
In a surprising and uncharacteristic move during Saturday’s game, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole intentionally walked Rafael Devers with one out and no one on base in the fourth inning. What followed was a disastrous turn of events that saw Cole surrender five hits and seven earned runs in a 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
The Decision to Walk Devers
Gerrit Cole, known for never backing down from a challenge, had been cruising through the first three innings without allowing a hit. However, with Rafael Devers coming to the plate, Cole made the unusual choice to intentionally walk the Red Sox slugger, even though there were no runners on base.
This decision stemmed from the history between the two players. Devers has been a thorn in Cole’s side throughout their matchups, boasting a .340 batting average and eight home runs against the Yankees’ ace. In the first inning, Cole had already hit Devers with a 0-1 cutter, which led Red Sox manager Alex Cora to take issue with the Yankees pitcher.
“We had discussed the days prior to and during the game strategically walking him because of the past success that he’s had,” Cole explained after the game. “Clearly that was a mistake. I think I bought into the plan going into it, but afterwards it was the wrong move.”
Immediate Fallout
The plan to avoid Devers backfired almost instantly. The intentional walk set the stage for the Red Sox offense to capitalize. Cole, who was in control until that point, saw the wheels come off, giving up five hits and allowing seven runs—all earned—before being pulled from the game.
Even Rafael Devers expressed some surprise at Cole’s decision, saying, “I never expect that from him. He’s a Hall of Famer, and we know the type of pitcher he is. At the same time, it gave us the opportunity to score some runs, and that’s what we did.”
The Red Sox, riding the momentum, went on to dominate the game, leaving the Yankees to regroup after what could be described as a strategic misstep. Now, with the series on the line, the teams prepare for the final game of the four-game set on Sunday, featuring Carlos Rodon for the Yankees and Kutter Crawford for the Red Sox.