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How Cole's intentional walk to Devers influenced Red Sox victory over Yankees
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    How Cole’s intentional walk to Devers influenced Red Sox victory over Yankees

    NEW YORK — Rafael Devers’ intentional walk by Gerrit Cole with no one on base sparked a three-run fourth inning, and Devers added a two-run single in Boston’s four-run fifth as the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 7-1 Saturday.

    Cole (6-5), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, hadn’t allowed a hit and led 1-0 when he walked Devers with one out in the fourth. Boston’s only runner until then had been Devers, who was hit by a pitch in the first and erased on a double play.

    After retiring nine of his first 10 batters, Cole allowed 10 of the next 12 to reach base. The 34-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs, his most since June 9, 2022, hit a career-high three batters and left after 4 1/3 innings.

    Brayan Bello (14-7) gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox.

    Boston (75-74) started the day 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the last AL wild card, also needing to overcome Detroit and Seattle. New York (86-63) had a three-game AL East lead over second-place Baltimore.

    Devers entered 14 for 41 (.316) with eight homers against Cole, including the postseason, but was 9 for 53 (.170) with one RBI since Aug. 30.

    Cole’s intentional walk was the pitcher’s first since he was with Pittsburgh and put on Milwaukee’s Travis Shaw with runners on second and third in the third inning of a 2-2 game on Sept. 12, 2017. Domingo Santana followed with a two-run double and scored on Eric Thames’ single as the Brewers won 5-2.

    Devers stole second and Masataka Yoshida hit an opposite-field RBI double into the left-field corner for Boston’s first hit, tying it at 1. Wilyer Abreu followed with a two-run single for a 3-1 lead, and Triston Casas bounced into an inning-ending double play.

    The earliest previous international walks by the Yankees with no runners on both were in the sixth inning: to the Philadelphia Athletics’ Al Simmons by Roy Sherid leading off on Sept. 22, 1930, and to Washington’s Frank Howard by Fritz Peterson with two outs on April 22, 1970.

    Trevor Story singled leading off the fifth and stole second, Danny Jansen walked and Enmanuel Valdez flied out as Story took third. Jarren Duran was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, and Devers lined a knuckle-curve into right for a 5-1 lead. Tyler O’Neill was hit by a pitch and Yoshida chased Cole with a two-run single.

    Cole is 5-6 with a 6.06 ERA in 15 starts against the Red Sox for the Yankees.

    Zach Penrod, a 27-year-old left-hander, made his big league debut for Boston in the eighth, replacing Josh Winckowski after Aaron Judge’s leadoff double. He got three outs while working around a walk, striking out Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Penrod’s wife, Kyla, watched the game at Yankee Stadium while holding their week-old daughter, Noa Mae.

    Gleyber Torres hit an RBI single for New York in the third.

    ATTENDANCE

    A sellout crowd of 46,378 pushed the Yankees over 3 million in home attendance for the third straight season and 24th in a row other than 2020-21, which had COVID pandemic capacity restrictions. New York is at 3,008,150 with seven home games remaining. Its 16 sellouts are one more than last year and matched the 2022 total.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck tentatively is slated to start Wednesday at Tampa Bay. Houck has been bothered by shoulder fatigue and was scratched Friday. He hasn’t pitched since Sept. 4 against the New York Mets.

    UP NEXT

    Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (14-9) enters Sunday’s series finale 0-1 in his last three starts. Boston’s Kutter Crawford (8-14, 4.09 ERA) has lost five straight starts since beating Texas on Aug. 13.

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    In a highly anticipated matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, one pivotal moment stood out as a turning point in the game. The decision by Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole to intentionally walk Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers proved to be a game-changing move that ultimately led to Boston’s victory.

    The game was tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cole faced a crucial situation with runners on second and third and two outs. Devers, who had already hit a home run earlier in the game, stepped up to the plate with a chance to give the Red Sox the lead. Recognizing the danger Devers posed, Cole made the strategic decision to intentionally walk him, loading the bases and setting up a potential force out at any base.

    While intentional walks are often seen as a safe move to avoid facing a dangerous hitter, they can also backfire if the next batter is able to capitalize on the opportunity. In this case, Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez made Cole pay for his decision by hitting a two-run single, giving Boston a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish.

    The intentional walk to Devers not only allowed the Red Sox to take the lead, but it also shifted the momentum of the game in their favor. By putting pressure on Cole and the Yankees defense, Boston was able to capitalize on their opportunities and secure a crucial victory over their division rival.

    Overall, Cole’s decision to intentionally walk Devers proved to be a key factor in the Red Sox’s victory. It serves as a reminder of the strategic chess match that often takes place in baseball, where one seemingly small decision can have a significant impact on the outcome of the game.