Alex Cora Offers Opinion For How Substance Checks Went In Red Sox-Rays

Tuesday was eventful for Major League Baseball, to say the least.

But for how weird a game the Boston Red Sox’s extra-innings win over the Tampa Bay Rays was, surprisingly, none of the drama came from the leagues newly enforced rules against pitchers using banned foreign substances.

“Smooth,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following the victory, which lifted Boston 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa in American League East standings.

“You know, everybody, they understand what’s going on. And the guys that came in late in the game, they actually waited or went straight to the umpire. So I think it went well.”

Things may have gone swimmingly for the Red Sox and Rays, but that wasn’t the case around the league, as pitchers lost their minds on the mound elsewhere when outings were interrupted by umpires.

Or in Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer’s case, interrupted by Joe Girardi. (By the way, the Philadelphia Phillies manager was ejected for getting triggered by Scherzer grilling him.)

And if at one point it looked like Scherzer might take his pants off the mound in frustration, we basically got that out of Oakland Athletics reliever Sergio Ramos.

You can’t make this stuff up.