Are you ready to hear about the latest baseball drama in New York? Well, let me tell you about Gerrit Cole’s interesting decision that backfired on Saturday, leading to his early exit from the game against the Boston Red Sox.
Gerrit Cole, the star pitcher for the New York Yankees, made a questionable choice to intentionally walk Rafael Devers from the Red Sox, even though there was no one on base. This decision proved costly as it sparked a three-run rally for Boston in the fourth inning, ultimately leading to Cole’s downfall.
Despite a strong start, Cole allowed seven runs – the most he has given up in two years – hit a career-high three batters, and was forced to leave the game after just 4 1/3 innings with the Yankees trailing 7-1. Devers, who has had success against Cole in the past, delivered a crucial two-run single in the fifth inning to extend Boston’s lead.
Devers’ history of hitting against Cole has been impressive, with a .316 average and eight home runs, including postseason matchups. This matchup seemed to play a significant role in Cole’s struggles on Saturday.
The game took a turn when Devers stole second base, followed by Masataka Yoshida’s RBI double and Wilyer Abreu’s two-run single, giving Boston a 3-1 lead. Despite Cole’s early success in the game, things unraveled quickly after the intentional walk to Devers.
This unusual strategy of intentionally walking a batter with no one on base is rarely seen in baseball, especially in the early innings. However, Cole’s decision did not work out as planned and ultimately contributed to the Yankees’ defeat against their division rivals.
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