DENVER (AP) — The Boston Red Sox and manager Alex Cora have agreed on a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2027 season.
The team announced the move Wednesday following a 20-7 loss at Colorado.
The 48-year-old Cora is in his second stint as Boston's manager, and his contract had been set to expire after this season. He was hired before the 2018 season and led the Red Sox to a World Series title that year, his second with the franchise. He was a player on the 2007 championship team that swept the Rockies in the Fall Classic.
Cora was suspended by Major League Baseball for the 2020 season and fired by the Red Sox for his role in a 2017 sign-stealing scandal as bench coach of the Houston Astros. Boston rehired him in 2021 and he guided the club to a 92-70 record and a trip to the AL Championship Series.
Boston endured consecutive 78-84 seasons in 2022 and ’23 but is 54-47 this year.
“What this organization means to us is the world,” Cora said Wednesday. “They trusted me from day one, they doubled down on me in ’21 after everything that happened in ’17. There were a lot of conversations in the offseason, and I just want to be happy and comfortable.”
Cora, whose 494 wins rank fourth in franchise history, said in March he didn’t expect talks on an extension to continue during the season. But he said Wednesday discussions had been ongoing recently with team executive Craig Breslow.
“Sometimes I put an act on for (the media),” Cora said with a chuckle. “I was actually telling the truth. We’ve been talking for a few weeks and the relationship between me and Craig has grown the last six, seventh months."
Cora said his family is happy living in Boston.
“I promise you, this decision was more based on the comfort of my family than my professional career,” he said.
This story has been corrected to delete reference to a member of Cora’s family in the penultimate paragraph.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, right, chekcs in with home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak to make lineup changes in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora watches from the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cam Rising threw for 92 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game due to an injury to his throwing hand as No. 11 Utah beat Baylor 23-12 on Saturday.
Rising scrambled and released the ball just before being driven out of bounds and was shoved into the water coolers on the Baylor sideline with 1:55 left in the second quarter, and went to the locker room for X-rays. Backup quarterback Isaac Wilson led the Utes’ offense after halftime for a second straight game.
Micah Bernard rushed for 118 yards to lead Utah (2-0).
Dequan Finn threw for 115 yards and a touchdown in his second start for Baylor (1-1). Finn struggled against Utah’s defense, losing a fumble and getting sacked three times.
Utah controlled play on both sides of the ball in the first half.
The Utes got on the board midway through the first quarter when Money Parks caught a short pass and turned it into a 28-yard reverse. Rising faked a handoff to Dijon Stanley before flipping the ball to Parks, who scored untouched.
Utah extended its lead to 14-0 on a 2-yard catch by Micah Bernard 20 seconds later. Connor O’ Toole forced Finn to fumble on a blindside hit and Karene Reid recovered the ball at the Baylor 3, setting up the Utes’ second touchdown.
Baylor had minus-10 yards on 10 plays in the first quarter.
Tao Johnson grabbed the ball on a blocked 50-yard field goal attempt and raced 77 yards down the sideline to extend Utah’s lead to 23-0 with 5:21 left in the second quarter. Johnson was the first Utah player to score a touchdown off a blocked field goal since Jay Hill in 1999 against Wyoming.
THE TAKEAWAY
Baylor: The Bears had a nightmarish start on offense and never fully recovered. Baylor did not gain a first down until midway through the second quarter and totaled 48 yards by halftime.
Utah: Another dominant performance for the Utes came at a price. Rising suffered an apparent injury to his throwing hand and an extended absence could affect the trajectory of Utah’s season.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Utah should move into the top 10 in the next AP Poll on Sunday following the victory.
UP NEXT
Baylor: Hosts Air Force on Saturday.
Utah: At Utah State on Saturday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) tcarries the ball; against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) runs past Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas (11) in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
