On a peculiar Saturday at Yankee Stadium, Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees was having quite a moment on the mound. With a shot at perfection in the fourth inning, he unexpectedly stepped off and intentionally walked Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers even though there were no runners on base and just one out.
Devers reacted with bewilderment, throwing aside his bat as he glanced back at home plate umpire Marvin Hudson, clearly unsure of what just happened. Unfortunately for Cole, the walk proved costly, leading to three runs for the Red Sox and ending in a 7-1 loss for the Yankees.
“Clearly, that was a mistake,” Cole admitted. “I bought into the plan, but it was the wrong move in hindsight.”
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As the reigning American League Cy Young winner, Cole acknowledged his struggles against Devers, who had a batting average of .333 against him with eight home runs—more than any other player.
“He caught me by surprise,” Devers commented through an interpreter. “I didn’t expect that from a guy like him. It felt like he panicked a bit.”
Earlier this week, when asked about the toughest Latin hitter he faces, Cole pointed straight to Devers without hesitation. This topic had even made its way into the Yankees’ strategy meetings before the series. Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that they considered intentionally walking Devers in specific situations but felt Cole should challenge him instead.
“After we scored in the third inning, I would have preferred that he attacked him,” Boone noted. “Clearly, I didn’t communicate that effectively. Gerrit seemed a bit indecisive.”
Cole discussed the decision with pitching coach Matt Blake, suggesting that walking Devers might help manage his pitch count given a depleted bullpen. Once the decision was made, Boone chose not to step in.
Interestingly, catcher Austin Wells revealed he was surprised by the intentional walk, sensing it tilted momentum in favor of the Red Sox. “I wasn’t in on that strategy,” Wells admitted. “It wasn’t in the plans.”
This was notable as it marked the earliest intentional walk with empty bases in Yankees history, the previous record being in the sixth inning with other players.
Reflecting on the situation, Cole concluded, “If I had executed my plan better, it could have worked. The bottom line is I need to make good pitches afterward.”