Where is the game going?

If you are a regular baseball fan, you probably have experienced the same thing as me. It is impossible not to react to the “strange things” we are seeing in baseball these days. I guess you know what I am talking about, right? Yes, about the incredible intentional walk that Gerrit Cole threw this Saturday against Rafael Devers with one out and the bases empty.

I am still writing this and I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. I can imagine what my good friend Ray Otero is thinking about that crazy intentional walk with no men on base. I am sure my childhood friend, Giordano Borrayo, a faithful Yankees fan, must have turned off the TV after that. Sounds reasonable.

The Yankees were ahead 1-0 with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Cole had dominated the first three innings with two strikeouts, three flyouts to the infield and just two to the outfield. He had 13 pitches and had not allowed any hits. The only Red Sox batter who had reached base was star of the lineup, Rafael Devers, who was hit by a Cole fastball in the top of the first inning. But then Cole dominated the next eight opponents in a row, including Jarred Duran, who started the top of the fourth inning with a fly out to center.

Then… it was time for shock, depression, sobbing and fury for many. Yankees announcer Michael Kay seemed stunned by the decision. Yankees fans, predictably, were not comfortable. Cole was blowing up his hot start. Devers himself was shocked. Cole signaled to the lead umpire, Marvin Hudson, flashing a four in his right hand. And then Devers walked to first base.

And so we were shocked by the ridiculously unconscionable: MLB’s leader in wins (104) and strikeouts (1,701) since 2017 intentionally walking a batter with the bases empty. Yes, the batter was his executioner, Rafael Devers, one of the best left-handed hitters in the majors today. But this is definitely not what you expect from a pitcher like Cole—even though we know his history of failures against Devers.

It was Cole's first intentional walk against Devers in 46 matchups. Devers entered Saturday's game averaging a 1.410 OPS with a double, eight homers and 20 RBIs. None of the 934 other batters Cole has faced in MLB has hit more than four homers. None has driven in even half as many runs off Cole as Devers. Next up is Eugenio Suarez, who has driven in nine runs off Cole in 30 plate appearances.

Before Saturday afternoon, the last Devers vs. Cole matchup had ended with a Devers homer on July 6 at Yankee Stadium.