Alex Cora and Chris Sale didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with Mike Estabrook on Saturday afternoon.
Cora was ejected from Game 1 of the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees doubleheader following a number of questionable calls from Estabrook. The second-year skipper’s frustration kickstarted with a brutal strike-three call on J.D. Martinez in the first inning, and it finally boiled over in the fourth at Yankee Stadium.
As Sale labored through a tough inning, Cora took a trip to the mound to put a pause on the contest. The Red Sox manager wasn’t out there to speak with his starter, however, as he simply was waiting for Estabrook to break up the meeting so he could give the home-plate umpire an earful.
You can watch it unfold here.
Cora’s ejection was just the beginning of what turned out to be a truly hellacious frame for Boston. Brett Gardner proceeded to smack a two-RBI single to give the Yankees a three-run lead and D.J. LeMahieu opened the floodgates with a three-run homer. Sale’s day came to an end after Aaron Judge followed with a ground-rule double, and the fiery southpaw was shown the exit by Estabrook as he barked at the ump en route to the dugout.
Given how it’s been going for Boston of late, it’s easy to understand why frustration might be at an all-time high.
