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Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Boston Red Sox fell 6-5 to the Cincinnati Reds after extra innings at Great American Ball Park on Saturday. Sonny Gray’s debut for Boston did not go to plan. The offense went cold for stretches, before Wilyer Abreu kept the game alive with a solo blast in the ninth to force extras.
Dane Myers ended it with a walkoff single in the eleventh. The loss dropped Boston to 1-1 on the season. But the final score only told part of the story.
The eighth inning changed the tone of the afternoon.
Story Addresses the Controversial Call
Trevor Story came to the plate in the eighth with two on, two out, and the Red Sox trailing 5-4. On an 0-2 pitch, home plate umpire CB Bucknor ruled that Story had swung.
Story did not take it quietly. The shortstop, who does not typically show that kind of emotion on the field, erupted immediately. Cora intervened to keep the situation from escalating further, and was subsequently ejected.
After the game, Story made his feelings clear.
“I obviously disagree with the call, real strongly,” Story said. “I don’t have anything really good to say about the situation, so I’m not going to say anything else.”
His response was blunt. But he also showed restraint which contrasted with how he reacted in the moment. Story is not someone who loses his composure. Saturday pushed him past that point. The fact that the Red Sox had already burned both ABS challenges by the third inning meant there was no recourse available.
The call stood, the inning ended, and the potential tying run stayed on base.
Trevor Story opening up about why he blew up on CB Buckner.
Made it clear he still feels strongly about his opinion of the check-swing. Says Buckner gave him a reason for not asking for help, but he didn’t want to make it public.
Cora Takes the Ejection for His Shortstop
After removing Story from the situation, Cora turned to Bucknor and continued the exchange himself. The ejection came quickly. Cora understood what was happening and made a decision in real time.
“I have a job to do in the dugout, and at that moment it was to protect Trevor.”
Cora was also asked about Bucknor’s overall performance on the day.
“He has one job to do,” Cora said. “It wasn’t his best day, and that’s what the (ABS) system does. It is out there, everybody sees it, and he’ll be the first one to accept it. I saw him putting his head down after one of the challenges, and we’re all human, it’s not easy.”
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox.
A Frustrating Afternoon for the Red Sox
The Red Sox fell behind early after Gray’s rough start but stayed within reach all afternoon. Carlos Narvaez used the team’s first ABS challenge in the second inning and Roman Anthony used the second in the third, leaving Boston without challenges from that point through the ninth.
Trevor Story hit a third-inning home run to cut into the deficit. The Red Sox continued chipping away but could never grab the lead. Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer both had at-bats affected by questionable strike calls later in the game with no challenges remaining.
Abreu’s solo homer in the ninth tied it at five and sent the game to extras. The momentum felt real. It lasted two innings before Myers delivered the walkoff single in the eleventh.
WILYER ABREU.
BRAND NEW BALLGAME.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Trevor Story does not lose his composure. That is what made Saturday’s reaction significant.
The Red Sox lost a game they had chances to win. Game two of 162 is over.
It’s the Reds up next before a trip to Houston.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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