Gerrit Cole's Intentional Walk Backfires, Allowing 7 Earned Runs as Red Sox Defeat Yankees 7-1

Sep 14, 2024, 06:33 PM

In a dramatic game at Yankee Stadium, Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees intentionally walked Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox with nobody on base and one out. This unusual decision backfired as Devers later scored on a double by Masataka Yoshida, contributing to a three-run fourth inning for Boston. Cole's performance unraveled further, leading to a final line of 4.1 innings pitched, 5 hits, 7 earned runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts, raising his season ERA to 3.97. The Red Sox ultimately defeated the Yankees 7-1. Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted that the strategy to intentionally walk Devers was discussed but regretted not being more decisive in attacking Devers. Devers has historically performed well against Cole, with a lifetime .341 batting average and 8 home runs. This was Cole's first intentional walk since 2017. The game also saw Cole hitting Devers with a pitch in the first inning, which drew criticism from Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who believed it was intentional.