Alex Cora Explains Difficult Pinch-Hit Decision Vs. Yankees

The Boston Red Sox mounted a late comeback after falling behind early against the New York Yankees on Friday.

Yankees starter Will Warren was effective for the first four innings, but started to show signs of fatigue as the game progressed. Red Sox rookie shortstop Marcelo Mayer hit his first career home run in the fifth inning. It was only a solo home run to cut the Yankee lead to six, but it got the Red Sox on the board and provided a spark to the offense.

In the sixth inning, the Red Sox pushed another run across the board via a Wilyer Abreu sacrifice fly. Warren struggled to locate his pitches, walking Carlos Narvaez and Abraham Toro to load the bases. With Mayer coming to the plate, the Yankees brought in lefty reliever Brent Headrick. Red Sox manager Alex Cora countered by lifting Mayer in favor of Romy Gonzalez.

After the game, Cora spoke to the media and explained the difficult decision to remove Mayer after his memorable moment.

“We needed to pinch-hit there,” Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “That’s the balance between developing the player and winning the game.”

The decision appeared to be a good one, as Romy Gonzalez singled in two runs with a line drive down the left field line.

Cora has been consistent in how he handles young left-handed hitters. Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran all had their at-bats against left-handed pitchers limited when they first arrived in the major leagues.

While the substitution may have been frustrating for Mayer in the moment, Cora reassured him that it wouldn’t always be the case.

“I don’t know if it will be this season, but at one point in his career, we’re not going to pinch hit for him,” Cora told the press. “He’s a part of the future, and he’s a good player.”

The Red Sox lost the game 9-6, but were able to force the Yankees to use some high-leverage bullpen arms thanks to the late rally.