Emotional Duel in the Cauldron: Cora and Boone Unleash Tension

Yesterday evening, at the end of the sixth inning, everything seemed decided, as Red Sox Manager Alex Cora explained. An opportunity missed that needed to be quickly erased was his belief. A heated moment of the game was ignited by Red Sox pitcher Bello, who threw a 97.4 mph sinker behind Yankees star Aaron Judge, followed by a 97.2 mph fastball far inside. Cora spoke with Judge after the game and described the conversation as "professional" without disclosing details. An exchange also took place with Yankees Manager Aaron Boone. Boone and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole insisted that it was not intentional to hit Devers. Boone commented on Sunday that he believed Cora used the moment to motivate his team in the fight for the playoffs. "I think he is trying to rally his team as they battle for their playoff chance. There's probably a bit of strategy there," Boone said. Cora hopes that Saturday's events will catapult his team into the playoffs. Before the game on Sunday against the Yankees, the Red Sox were 3 1/2 games behind sixth place. To reach the wildcard round, they would need to surpass the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Seattle Mariners. The analysis platform FanGraphs estimates Boston's chances at 6.2 percent. "If we make it into the playoffs, we will look back at Saturday," Cora forecasts. "Maybe we have to thank Gerrit Cole for the boost. Hopefully, we get the chance to play against him in the playoffs. We have a long way to go. I promise nothing, but if it works out, Saturday will be a key moment.