New York Yankees 1-7 Boston Red Sox
The New York Yankees suffered a tough 7-1 defeat to the Red Sox, with much of the blame falling on ace Gerrit Cole’s uncharacteristic decision-making in the fourth inning. Despite starting strong and holding Boston hitless through 3.1 innings, Cole’s surprising intentional walk to Rafael Devers set off a disastrous chain of events.
Gerrit Cole unravels after intentional walk, Yankees crushed by Red Sox
Gerrit Cole had been in control, having only allowed one baserunner—Devers, whom he hit with a pitch in the first inning. But when Devers came up again in the fourth, Gerrit Cole made a perplexing decision to intentionally walk him with no one on base. This choice, unusual for Cole, marked his first regular-season intentional walk since his Pittsburgh Pirates days. Manager Aaron Boone admitted postgame that he should have questioned the move but didn’t push back.
The aftermath was catastrophic. Following the walk, Cole lost his focus, and the Red Sox took full advantage. Ten of the next 12 batters reached base, leading to seven earned runs charged to Cole. The once-dominant performance crumbled, marking one of Cole’s worst outings in pinstripes. Whether it was the intentional walk or Devers easily stealing second immediately after that rattled him, Cole’s unraveling was swift and costly.
The intentional walk to Devers, who holds a .264 OBP and 61 wRC+ over the last 30 days, seemed unnecessary. Even with Devers’ history against Cole, the chance of a solo home run tying the game at 1-1 appeared less risky than putting him on base without testing him at the plate. The Yankees paid the price for the choice, and it became the turning point that shifted the momentum to Boston.
Offensively, the Yankees struggled to get much going. Gleyber Torres provided the team’s lone highlight, driving in their only run in the first inning, briefly giving New York the lead. But the Yankees couldn’t capitalize further, and the offense stalled for the rest of the game. Jasson Dominguez, who has struggled since being added to the roster, managed a walk but went hitless again. He’s currently slashing .118/.211/.118 and has yet to collect an extra-base hit, raising questions about whether he’ll be a reliable option come playoff time.
Despite the blowout loss, there were a couple of positives for the Yankees. Tim Mayza delivered 3.2 shutout innings in relief of Cole, keeping the game from becoming an even bigger blowout. His efforts helped preserve the bullpen for tomorrow’s series finale, a critical game as the Yankees look to take three out of four from Boston.
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Up next
Carlos Rodón will start in Sunday’s game, seeking his 15th win of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM Eastern, with the Yankees hoping to rebound and close out the series on a high note.
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