Alex Cora Explains Crucial Decision In Red Sox’s Win Over Rangers

Alex Cora’s faith in a Red Sox starter paid major dividends for Boston on Wednesday night.

When the Red Sox trailed the Rangers 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth at Fenway Park, it wouldn’t have been reckless for Cora to pinch-hit for Wilyer Abreu. Left-hander Hoby Milner was on the mound for Texas, and Boston had multiple right-handed bats available on the bench.

But Cora stuck with Abreu, who walloped a 422-foot solo home run in his first at-bat of the game. The Gold Glove-winning outfielder made his manager look smart by lacing a game-tying RBI double before giving the Red Sox some insurance in the eighth with another solo blast. Abreu’s impactful efforts at the dish helped Boston secure a 6-4 win that halted a losing streak at three.

After the game, Cora explained why he didn’t remove Abreu in the high-pressure spot.

“It’s the sixth inning and Willy’s one of our best hitters and he’s earning the right to face tough lefties,” Cora told reporters, per MassLive.

The “best hitters” label wasn’t purely anecdotal for Cora — it was backed up by stats. Entering Thursday, Abreu was tied for the team lead in home runs (nine) and ranked second in average (.294), OBP (.401), slugging percentage (.580) and RBIs (25). Only the red-hot Alex Bregman posted greater numbers than Abreu in all of those major categories.

Abreu will try to pad those stats Thursday when the Red Sox and the Rangers wrap up their three-game set. NESN’s full coverage of the finale begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.