Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole recently called Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers the most difficult Latin player he’s faced in his career.
Cole avoided pitching to Devers in the fourth inning by intentionally walking him on Saturday, but his plan backfired.
With New York up 1-0, one out, and the bases empty, Cole wasted no time giving Devers a free base. Given the 27-year-old hitter’s dominance against the right-hander (eight home runs and 20 RBI in 46 plate appearances), it’s easy to understand that New York wants to avoid the matchup.
However, since there were no Red Sox runners on the base path and the Yankees were leading, the decision was puzzling.