Devers' intentional walk from Cole with no runners one on sparks Red Sox over Yankees 7-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Devers’ intentional walk by Gerrit Cole with no one on base sparked a three-run fourth inning, and Devers added a two-run single in Boston's four-run fifth as the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 7-1 Saturday.

Cole (6-5), the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, hadn’t allowed a hit and led 1-0 when he walked Devers with one out in the fourth. Boston’s only runner until then had been Devers, who was hit by a pitch in the first and erased on a double play.

“I felt like the first at-bat he hit him on purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He doesn’t want to face him. That’s the bottom line. He told us with the intentional walk that the first at-bat he hit him.”

After retiring nine of his first 10 batters, Cole allowed 10 of the next 12 to reach base. The 34-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs, his most since June 9, 2022. He hit a career-high three batters and left after 4 1/3 innings.

Brayan Bello (14-7) gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox.

Boston (75-74) closed within 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the last AL wild card, also needing to overcome Detroit and Seattle. New York (86-63) saw its AL East lead cut to two games over second-place Baltimore

Devers entered 14 for 41 (.316) with eight homers against Cole, including the postseason, but was 9 for 53 (.170) with one RBI since Aug. 30.

“He caught me by surprise,” Devers said through a translator. “I didn’t expect that from a future Hall of Famer and I feel like he panicked a little bit.”

Cole’s intentional walk was the pitcher’s first since he was with Pittsburgh and put on Milwaukee’s Travis Shaw with runners on second and third in the third inning of a 2-2 game on Sept. 12, 2017. Domingo Santana followed with a two-run double and scored on Eric Thames’ single as the Brewers won 5-2.

“They grabbed the momentum. It inspired them,” Cole said. “I think, looking back, it’s the wrong move.”

Devers stole second and Masataka Yoshida hit an opposite-field RBI double into the left-field corner for Boston’s first hit, tying it at 1. Wilyer Abreu followed with a two-run single for a 3-1 lead, and Triston Casas bounced into an inning-ending double play.

The earliest previous international walks by the Yankees with no runners on both were in the sixth inning: to the Philadelphia Athletics’ Al Simmons by Roy Sherid leading off on Sept. 22, 1930, and to Washington’s Frank Howard by Fritz Peterson with two outs on April 22, 1970.

Trevor Story singled leading off the fifth and stole second. Danny Jansen walked and Enmanuel Valdez flied out as Story took third. Jarren Duran was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, and Devers lined a knuckle-curve into right for a 5-1 lead. Tyler O’Neill was hit by a pitch and Yoshida chased Cole with a two-run single.

Cole is 5-6 with a 6.06 ERA in 15 starts against the Red Sox for the Yankees. At the time of the intentional walk, the Yankees led 1-0 behind Gleyber Torres’ third-inning RBI single.

“Once we scored the run my preference would have been let’s attack them. But, obviously, I didn’t communicate that well enough,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Zach Penrod, a 27-year-old left-hander, made his big league debut for Boston in the eighth, replacing Josh Winckowski after Aaron Judge’s leadoff double. He got three outs while working around a walk, striking out Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Penrod’s wife, Kyla, watched the game at Yankee Stadium while holding week-old daughter, Noa Mae.

ATTENDANCE

A sellout crowd of 46,378 pushed the Yankees over 3 million in home attendance for the third straight season and 24th in a row other than 2020-21, which had COVID pandemic capacity restrictions. New York is at 3,008,150 with seven home games remaining. Its 16 sellouts are one more than last year and matched the 2022 total.

MOVES

Boston selected Penrod’s contract from Worcester and recalled left-hander Bailey Horn from the Triple-A farm team. Left-hander Cam Booser and right-hander Zack Kelly were optioned to Worcester after Friday night’s 5-4 loss and catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck tentatively is slated to start Wednesday at Tampa Bay. Houck has been bothered by shoulder fatigue and was scratched Friday. He hasn’t pitched since Sept. 4 against the New York Mets.

UP NEXT

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (14-9) enters Sunday's series finale 0-1 in his last three starts. Boston's Kutter Crawford (8-14, 4.09 ERA) has lost five straight starts since beating Texas on Aug. 13.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Boston Red Sox's Greg Weissert pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. The Red Sox won 7-1.(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone watches from the dugout steps during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. The Red Sox won 7-1. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran runs to third base on a two-run single by Rafael Devers during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers hits a two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole reacts after Boston Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida, of Japan, hit a two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole reacts after Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers hit a two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers runs to first base for a two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers smiles after hitting a two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germany on Saturday was still in shock and struggling to understand the suspect behind the attack in the city of Magdeburg.

Identified by local media as 50-year-old Taleb A., a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist, authorities said he has been living in Germany for two decades. He was arrested on site after plowing a black BMW into a Christmas market crowded with holiday shoppers Friday evening, killing at least five people and wounding about 200 others.

Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile.

Taleb’s X account is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim.

He was critical of German authorities, saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamism of Europe.”

He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum seekers.

Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar."

A person stands by flowers and candles placed outside St. John's Church near a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)