With the Boston Red Sox all but mathematically out of postseason contention, manager Alex Cora let out some of his frustration during Sunday’s doubleheader opener against the Minnesota Twins.
In the top of the first, Cora calmly walked out of the dugout to talk to the umpires after an obstruction call was made at second base. But the interaction turned heated with Cora waving his arms wildly. He then ran out to the second base bag, motioning with his hands from his eyes to the bag, while pointing furiously at second base umpire Dan Merzel. Cora then had to be held back by third base umpire Alan Porter.
The manager was quickly ejected.
Alex Cora was NOT happy with a call getting changed after Rocco Baldelli’s pleading 😬 pic.twitter.com/T8vaBnSiIC
— NESN (@NESN) September 22, 2024
The trouble started with Byron Buxton on second base. Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta threw back to the bag. But while receiving the throw, the knee of Red Sox second baseman Vaughn Grissom blocked the bag and the umpires moved the runner to third on an obstruction.
Cora appeared to be upset Porter made the call and not Merzel, despite Merzel’s proximity to the play. Cora also seemed irked that it took a request from the opposing manager, the Twins’ Rocco Baldelli, for the umpires to get the call correct. The crew initially had not called obstruction on the play.
“He blocked the bag,” Cora said after Boston’s 8-1 victory. “He did. But, the whole mechanism, I didn’t like. It took (the Twins) to argue. And then Alan, called time to get together. They got the call, right, but you’re right there. Just call it. It’s a lot easier that way. And I took exception and I got thrown out.”
The play was rule was ruled an error on Grissom but Pivetta got out of the inning unscathed.
It marked Cora’s third ejection of the season. He will be eligible to manage the second game of the doubleheader starting at 5:35 p.m. ET.
(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)