Before Monday’s opening game of the Red Sox and Astros series, Houston manager Alex Cora promised to officiate Junior Valentine.
According to Cora, he has likely thrown me out two or three times. “Junior,” I said, “I won’t be kicked out.” I swear to you. My children detest the game they are watching. I was then kicked out today.
During the seventh inning of Boston’s 4-1 series finale defeat to Houston at Daikin Park, Cora was ejected for the 22nd time in his managerial career, including his fifth this season.
Cora remarked, “I hate getting thrown out.” It is my responsibility to assist our club in winning games from the dugout. All that is being thrown out, including the rallying of the troops, is (expletive). Being in the dugout is my job. I learned that from Dave Dombrowski, who was president of baseball operations at the time, when I was eighteen. And I make every effort to remain there.
Cora wasn’t thrown by Valentine, who was working second base on Wednesday. Ryan Blakney, the home plate umpire, handed him the hook.
By the top of the sixth inning, Cora had already departed the dugout to talk to the umpire crew. Hunter Brown, the starting pitcher for the Astros, was then suspected of balking. Houston was ahead 2-1 and Jarren Duran was at third base when it happened.
First of all, according to Cora, they got it right. They made the correct call. The only thing that comes to mind is that we’ve seen this scenario before: the umpires urge the pitchers to declare after a routine windup. If you have a normal windup, you are exempt from declaring. If you have a hybrid windup, that is. In order to avoid misleading the runner, you must declare at that point. However, during the past two years, we have witnessed instances where the pitcher has been asked to declare because it is a routine windup. That was all.
Duran was sent from first base to second after Brown had previously balked earlier in the sixth inning.
The Astros led 4-1 after starting Walker Buehler let up a two-run home run to Yainer Diaz in the bottom half of the sixth inning after the Red Sox were unable to tie the game.
Then, in the top of the seventh inning, Cora was ejected during a pitching change.
In order to be honest with you, I went out there (in the eighth), Cora stated. I informed him of this. I’m curious and want to learn. I’m not sure whether he understood my sarcasm. I wasn’t. He then threw me out as I was making my way back (to the dugout).
