Yahoo Sports Alex Cora avoids suspension after insinuating Red Sox threw at Yankees’ Aaron Judge
Major League Baseball is letting Alex Cora off the hook.
The Red Sox skipper has avoided a suspension after insinuating that Boston threw at Aaron Judge over the weekend, a source confirmed to the New York Daily News. The league reached this conclusion after speaking with Cora and looking into his comments and other events that took place during the Yankees’ weekend series against the Red Sox.
“There was understanding,” the source replied Tuesday when asked to elaborate on how MLB reached its decision.
This decision traces back to Saturday, when Yankees starter Gerrit Cole hit Boston’s Rafael Devers in the first inning of a 7-1 Red Sox victory. Afterward, Cora repeatedly said that Cole plunked Devers, a longtime adversary, on purpose. Cole and the Yankees refuted that accusation.
Before Sunday’s game, Cora was asked if the feud from Saturday had been settled.
“It was closed yesterday around the sixth inning,” he said. “We had our chance. Didn’t happen, and we have to move on.”
The sixth inning of Saturday’s game is when Boston’s Brayan Bello threw a pitch behind Judge. The right-hander missed.
“That’s not allowed,” Aaron Boone said when told of Cora’s comments after a 5-2 Yankees win on Sunday. “That’s for somebody else to deal with. We’re finished playing them for now. We’re on to Seattle now.
“He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. I don’t really have anything to say about that.”
On Monday, a source told The News that “the whole matter is under review and will be taken into account.” That was in response to a question asking if MLB also looked into Bello and Cole as part of standard procedure.
On Sunday, Judge reacted to Cora’s comments after drilling a 445-foot homer— and carrying his bat down the first base line, something he doesn’t usually do.
“It’s baseball,” Judge said. “He missed. Nothing that I can do besides take it and go to first, so it is what it is.
“I’ve been playing this game for a while. Things like that happen. I know they’re upset. I think three of their guys got hit that day, and I think they’re just protecting their players. So something’s gotta happen, and that’s the way this game kind of gets policed and has been policed for over 100 years. I think the biggest thing is just don’t miss when you do it.”
Judge also said that he and Cora had a “good convo” regarding what took place Saturday. Boone and Cora spoke as well, as the two managers are close.
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