Red Sox manager Alex Cora hints team tried hitting Yankees’ Aaron Judge on purpose

NEW YORK — Saturday’s drama between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox appeared as if it might carry over into the final game of the season between the two rivals, thanks to some pre-game comments from Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

The game itself, however, remained tame, as the Yankees pulled out a 5-2 victory, taking three of four from the Red Sox.

Prior to the game, Cora insinuated that starting pitcher Brayan Bello purposefully threw at Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in the sixth inning on Saturday as revenge for Gerrit Cole hitting Rafael Devers in the first. Cora was asked if he considered Saturday’s Devers’ intentional walk and hit-by-pitch incident a closed case.

“It was closed yesterday around the sixth inning,” Cora said. “We had our chance. It didn’t happen and we have to move on.”

Bello threw a 97.4 mph sinker behind Judge’s back on a 0-0 count; he then threw a 97.2 mph four-seam fastball far inside and off the plate.

“It’s baseball. He missed,” Judge said after Sunday’s game when asked about Cora’s comments. “Nothing I can do about it besides take it and go to first. It is what it is.”

Cora said he spoke with Judge after Saturday’s game and called it a “professional” conversation, but neither he nor Judge would divulge what was discussed.

“It was a good convo, we’ll kind of keep it at that,” Judge said.

On Sunday, Judge’s two-run homer in the third gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead. As he headed toward first, the Yankees slugger carried his bat nearly the entire way down the first-base line.

“It’s a big homer. We’re playing the Red Sox. This is a big rival, big game, big moment. I’m just having some fun with it there,” he said.

The homer helped squash any momentum the Red Sox were hoping to gain from the Saturday win.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday that he believes Cora was playing up the moment to help provide a spark for a team outside the postseason picture.

“I think it’s a manager that’s using that moment to rally his troops a little bit as they’re fighting for their playoff lives,” Boone said. “They’re playing for a lot over there. And I think it’s an opportunity to kind of galvanize them a little bit. Probably a little gamesmanship to it. So that’s part of it.”

Prior to Sunday’s loss, Cora had expressed hope that the Saturday drama would serve as springboard for his club. But Boston now sits 4 1/2 games back of the third American League wild-card spot while New York owns a three-game lead in first place in the AL East.

“I was talking to a veteran today, if this happens (making the playoffs), we’re going to look back at (Saturday) and we’re probably going to thank Gerrit Cole to get us going to be honest with you,” Cora said. “And hopefully it happens. Hopefully we can face them in the playoffs because he will have to pitch. But, we still have a long way. I’m not promising we’re going to make it to the playoffs, but if we do, I think everybody’s going to look back at Saturday and hopefully it happens.” 

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(Photo: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)