Boston rattled off seven straight runs across two innings following the intentional walk.
Rafael Devers’ intentional walk by Gerrit Cole with no one on base sparked a three-run fourth inning, and Devers added a two-run single in Boston’s four-run fifth as the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 7-1 Saturday.
Cole (6-5), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, hadn’t allowed a hit and led 1-0 when he walked Devers with one out in the fourth. Boston’s only runner until then had been Devers, who was hit by a pitch in the first and erased on a double play.
“I felt like the first at-bat he hit him on purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He doesn’t want to face him. That’s the bottom line. He told us with the intentional walk that the first at-bat he hit him.”
After retiring nine of his first 10 batters, Cole allowed 10 of the next 12 to reach base. The 34-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs, his most since June 9, 2022. He hit a career-high three batters and left after 4 1/3 innings.
Brayan Bello (14-7) gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox.
Boston (75-74) started the day 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the last AL wild card, also needing to overcome Detroit and Seattle. New York (86-63) had a three-game AL East lead over second-place Baltimore.
Devers entered 14 for 41 (.316) with eight homers against Cole, including the postseason, but was 9 for 53 (.170) with one RBI since Aug. 30.
“He caught me by surprise,” Devers said through a translator. “I didn’t expect that from a future Hall of Famer and I feel like he panicked a little bit.
