Alex Cora had a warning for Yankees fans: Don’t taunt the Astros.
The Boston Red Sox manager knows firsthand the consequences that can come from taunting Houston. Just last year, Eduardo Rodriguez pointed to his wrist after getting Carlos Correa out in Game 3 of the 2021 American League Championship Series. Boston went on to win the game, but the Astros bounced back with four straight wins to advance to the World Series.
Cora didn’t take too kindly to Rodriguez’s taunt to Corea, whom Cora has a close relationship with off the field, and hopes Yankees fans don’t go beyond booing the Astros during Games 3, 4 and 5 of the ALCS.
“I mean I know most of the guys there,” Cora said during an appearance on Audacy’s “BXB” podcast, as transcribed by Audacy. “(Yuli) Gurriel, Maldonado, (Alex) Bregman. I worked with some of them. It’s a different team, right, but one of the things they do, they look for anything to get them going.
” … Don’t even try because they look for anything, you know, ‘F you (Jose) Altuve!’ or to Bregman,” Cora said. “Just keep it to the Yankees. You boo them, yeah, that’s part of it, we get booed when we go to Yankee Stadium. But it’s not that they take it personal, but they look for anything to get them going and just cheer your guys, cheer Judge, cheer Cole, and leave it at that.”
The Yankees don’t need to get the Astros going any more than they already are. Houston owns a 2-0 series lead and New York manager Aaron Boone seems to be searching for any excuse for losing the first two — like saying the Minute Maid Park roof being open led to the Game 2 loss and not striking out 30 times over two games.
We’ll see if Yankees fans take Cora’s advice when they play Game 3 on Saturday night at 5:07 p.m. ET.
