Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora disagrees with the ESPN broadcast and its commentary on Nate Eaton’s contentious play.
In the eighth inning of Wednesday’s Game 2 in New York, pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida singled on a ground ball to second base. Jazz Chisholm Jr. made an excellent play to keep the ball in the infield, but the throw to Ben Rice was errant.
kept Eaton at third base, and the broadcasters insisted that the outfielder might have scored. Cora disagreed with the broadcaster’s remarks.
“That’s their opinion, you know?” Cora stated postgame on Wednesday. “From up there, I believe he could have scored. They’re not down there with us.”
Holding Eaton at third base proved to be the difference as the Red Sox fell 4-3 in Game 2 of their Wild Card Series against the Yankees. Had Eaton scored, Boston would have led 4-3 in the seventh.
Eaton, however, said he couldn’t see the ball as he prepared to circle third base, and the coach held him.
“Obviously, it was a big play,” Eaton explained. “We did not score. I clearly couldn’t see it. As I approached third, I was instructed to halt, and I couldn’t see how far the ball was away when it passed Rice.”
Trevor Story then flied out to center field with the bases loaded to conclude the seventh inning, after Eaton’s halt at third base.