Well, this was bizarre.
With one out and nobody on base in the fourth inning, the Yankees chose to intentionally walk the struggling Rafael Devers — and it backfired.
After Gerrit Cole put the Red Sox slugger on base, Devers stole second, and a three-run rally began.
Cole walked Tyler O’Neill, allowed a run-scoring double to Masataka Yoshida and a two-run single to Wilyer Abreu.
Prior to the Devers walk, Cole had retired nine of the first 10 batters he had faced.
Devers has historically crushed Cole and the Yankees — he has eight homers and 18 RBIs in 43 plate appearances against the reigning American League Cy Young award winner — but he has been slumping.
He hasn’t homered since Aug. 25 and has an OPS of .507 in September.
Cole hit Devers with a pitch in his first at-bat.
An inning later, Cole couldn’t walk Devers, who strode to the plate with a base loaded, and the All-Star blasted a two-run single to right-center field, making it 5-1 in favor of Boston.