Brayan Bello Criticizes Gerrit Cole for Showing “Weakness”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora had no problem calling out Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees following Boston’s 7-1 win in the Bronx.
And Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello, who earned his 14th win of the season Saturday, followed suit.
While Cole plunking star Rafael Devers in the top of the first inning angered Cora, Bello blasted the Yankees ace over a different situation. Cole made a puzzling move when Devers came to the plate again in the top of the fourth inning by intentionally walking the Red Sox slugger with the bases empty.
It was an insanely soft approach from the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner that spat in the face of competition and Bello let him know as such.
“I feel like he showed a lot of weakness in that move,” Bello told reporters through translator Carlos Villoria Benitez, as seen on NESN postgame coverage.
Cole, who said it was a predetermined decision by him, manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake to go that route with Devers, tried to explain the bizarre maneuver after the game and Yankees manager Aaron Boone did the same, but the two certainly had second thoughts after how things played out.
Devers came into the contest owning Cole in their career encounters with Devers batting 13-for-39 (.333) lifetime off the six-time All-Star with eight home runs — the most Cole has allowed to any opponent.
To make matters worse, Cole hadn’t even allowed a hit in the game up to that point, but quickly unraveled after issuing the free pass to Devers. Cole melted down on the mound to surrender seven runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, while Bello outpitched him.
The Red Sox righty starred in the win as he tossed 5 1/3 innings in which he gave up just one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
