Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees found himself in a peculiar situation during a game against the Boston Red Sox as he intentionally walked Rafael Devers with the bases empty and one out in the fourth inning. This unexpected move ultimately backfired as the intentional walk led to three Red Sox runs that inning and a 7-1 win for Boston. Cole acknowledged that it was a mistake, admitting that he had bought into the plan but realized afterward that it was the wrong move. At the time, Devers was surprised by the intentional walk, mentioning that he didn’t expect it from a future Hall of Famer and felt like Cole may have panicked in that moment.
Devers has had notable success against Cole in the past, with 13 hits in 39 at-bats and eight home runs off the reigning American League Cy Young winner. Cole openly acknowledged Devers as the Latin hitter who has given him the most trouble, which was a key topic in the Yankees’ pre-series meetings. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that the team had considered intentionally walking Devers in unconventional situations, but he felt that Cole was overthinking the situation. Boone would have preferred Cole to challenge Devers instead of the intentional walk that led to Boston’s scoring spree in that inning.
During a press conference earlier in the week, Cole mentioned discussing the intentional walk with pitching coach Matt Blake, citing that with a thin bullpen, walking Devers could efficiently manage the pitch count. However, catcher Austin Wells admitted feeling caught off guard by the decision, as he was not in on the conversation and felt that it shifted the momentum in Boston’s favor. The bases-empty intentional walk recorded by the Yankees was the earliest of its kind, with previous instances occurring in later innings in history.
Cole, reflecting on his decision, recognized that if he had executed better after the intentional walk, the plan would have worked. He emphasized the need to make better pitches afterward in order for the strategy to be effective. Despite the misstep, the Yankees and Cole have learned from the error and will likely approach similar situations differently in the future. The game against the Red Sox served as a learning experience for both Cole and the team, highlighting the importance of communication and execution on the field.
