[ad_1]
While the Red Sox have loved beating the Yankees over and over again this season, Friday night’s 4-0 win at Yankee Stadium wasn’t so enjoyable for manager Alex Cora.
Cora is sickened by what Yankees manager Aaron Boone is going through with a COVID outbreak that postponed the scheduled opening of the series Thursday night and sent five players to the COVID injured list in two days and six since Last weekend.
Introducing Yankees Insider: Receive exclusive news, behind-the-scenes insight and the ability to text directly with the beat makers
“I know what Boone is going through there with the roster and it really sucks,” Cora said after the Red Sox improved to 7-0 this season against the Yankees. “It’s not about competition. These are human beings. We are going through a pandemic and it is hard for everyone.
“On the competitive side, of course, we want to come here and win the series. But this stuff… it really sucks. I feel for them. I really feel for Boone because I know how difficult it is with the pandemic. “
Cora and Boone chatted Thursday. At that point, the Yankees already had three players on the COVID injured list with hopes that three more would be added on Friday. A day later, All-Star right fielder Aaron Judge, third baseman Gio Urshela and wide receiver Kyle Higashioka were also on COVID IL, and the Yankees had to plunder their Triple-A roster to fill theirs.
All of this upsets Cora, who has a ton of admiration for the skipper on the other side of baseball’s longest and best rivalry.
“I love this guy,” Cora said of Boone. “I respect him. I know it hasn’t worked out this season, but it’s very difficult to see from a distance. Hopefully for him and the organization it will pass right away. Hopefully it will be in a few days. and they can come back and do their thing. It’s hard. It’s very hard.
“Shuffling from the top to the bottom of the list… preparing to prepare to win a game in the big leagues is hard enough. To do it with that stuff, it’s not easy.
Seeing what Boone is going through reminded Cora that the AL East Red Sox were very lucky building a 56-36 record that put Boston nine games ahead of the Yankees in fourth.
“We got to this point by doing it the right way,” Cora said. “You can also call it luck, can’t you?” We have faced four teams that have been there: Minnesota at the start of the season, the Phillies, the Jays, now the Yankees. The As’s, too, in a sense with one of their players. The fact that we got to play all of our games (except the postponement from Thursday) and that we are where we are in terms of health, it’s amazing.
Receive Yankees SMS: Eliminate the clutter of social media and text with beat editors and columnists. Plus, get breaking news, insights and exclusive analysis every day. Register now.
Our journalism needs your support. Please register today for NJ.com.
Randy Miller can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com is Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
[ad_2]
Source link