Alex Cora circles back on crucial manager's decision in loss that closed out Red Sox' road trip
'The walking part of it, I get it, you know?' Cora said. 'He's Vladimir Guerrero. We had him 0-2, and we didn't execute pitches after that. There's a two-way street here. And I get it, you know. Probably in the ALCS, I'm walking him. But right now in April and May, I've got to trust my guy. I've got to give Justin the leeway that he can do the job — and he's been great for us.
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'[Thursday], he didn't execute three pitches, right? One-two breaking ball, a one-two breaking ball, and a 3-2 breaking ball'
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Cora said he'd rather learn in April even if he'd make a different decision with more on the line.
'We learn from that, I learn from that, too,' Cora said. 'Maybe the next time we face him, we'll think about it, right? But it's all about trust right now. We have a lot of young players on this roster and where we are going, well, it might be decided from [Thursday], we might lose the wild card, the division by one game and it's on me, right.
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'But I think the way I manage right now, especially with this group, you've got to be very patient, because I truly believe this is a very talented team. It's not like last year that you have the pedal to the medal and OK, pinch hit in the fifth or walk this guy and try to like will wins out there. You trust Justin Slaten, in that situation. [Thursday], it didn't happen.'
Buehler to injured list
Sox starter
Walker Buehler
was placed 15-day injured list because of shoulder inflammation. The righthander's shoulder didn't respond well after his last outing April 26 in Cleveland and he flew back to Boston ahead of the team Thursday for tests.
'We don't think it's that serious,' Cora said. 'Miss two starts and hopefully be back as soon as the days are over.
With Buehler out,
Brayan Bello
moved up a day to start the series opener, leaving Saturday's starter up in the air. Cora didn't make an official decision on who would make that start, but said it would likely be
Hunter Dobbins
, who was recalled from Triple A Worcester.
Campbell wins AL rookie of the month
After hitting .301 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 29 games to start the season, second baseman
Kristian Campbell
earned American League Rookie of the Month. He became the first Sox player to win the award since first baseman
Tristan Casas
in July 2023 and the 11th honored overall.
'I think he's done a lot of good things offensively,' Cora said. 'He dominates the strike zone and he hits the ball hard the other way. He's learning too, which is the best thing, right. You sit down with him and you talk about the whole experience, and it's a great conversation. I love that part of it. From the ballparks to the hotels, meals, teammates, and obviously performing on the field. So I'm very excited for him.'
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Campbell (rib soreness) was a late scratch Thursday and was out again Friday. Cora said Campblell should be back in the lineup Saturday.
Wong returns from finger injury
Connor Wong
returned to the lineup after missing 22 games with a fractured left little finger. Fellow catcher
Blake Sabol
was optioned to the WooSox …
Richard Fitts
(right pectoral sprain) played catch out to 120 feet. The righthander has been on the IL since April 13. Outfielder
Masataka Yoshida
(shoulder labral repair) returned to Boston after going to Fort Myers, Fla., while the team was on the road. He had an MRI on Friday, and Cora said the team will know more about the results Saturday.
Julian Benbow can be reached at
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