Red Sox manager Alex Cora couldn't help but make a joke after starting pitcher Chris Sale opened Boston's three-game series against the Detroit Tigers by throwing eight consecutive balls in the first inning.
Sale told reporters it was "definitely interesting" and said he's not sure its ever happened in his baseball career.
Cora's reaction, though, was a bit more movie-theater quality. Cora told reporters after Boston's eventual 6-3 victory how he made reference to the movie "Dodgeball" after Sale walked off the mound following a scoreless first inning.
"That's a bold strategy, Cotton," was the quote referenced by the Red Sox skipper.
"That's a tough way to start this, (eight) balls in a row and then you do that," Cora explained with a smirk, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "He was close to the strike zone, just missing. I think he made some adjustments throughout. I think we talked before the game it's kind of like step by step. He threw a pitch there down and in, maybe we'll look back and we don't want to do that. But overall a good one."
Sale bounced back both from his eight consecutive balls Thursday as well as his first embarrassing start of the season last week. He limited the Tigers to three runs on four hits and struck out seven in five innings. Both Sale and Cora referred to it as a "step in the right direction."
Here are some more notes from Red Sox-Tigers:
-- Duvall continued to rack up the RBIs on Thursday with the game-winning home run in the sixth inning. The Red Sox centerfielder recorded his third home run of the campaign on a three-run shot to score Rafael Devers and Masataka Yoshida, who were both in scoring position. Duvall now has 12 RBIs and three home runs in seven games.
"I've always said when I step up to the plate I feel like I have men in scoring position because I have the ability to drive the ball and hit the ball out of the ballpark," Duvall told NESN's Jahmai Webster after the game. "So when runners are on, it's a passion of mine to drive in runs. I love those situations."
-- Devers was absolutely mashing the ball in Detroit. The Red Sox third baseman hit a 401-foot homer in the fourth inning with an exit velocity of 107.9 mph while his wall-hitting double in the sixth clocked at 108.3 mph as well. Devers jump-started the offense, which had struggled the past few days before facing the Tigers.
"That was good, man. The first one, I haven't seen too many of those here (Comerica Park) to left-center and to the bleachers. You don't see that often," Cora said of Devers. "The one he hit to center, that's gone in every other ballpark. ... Offensively, he feels good about himself."
Devers' homer also helped him pass Dustin Pedroia on Boston's all-time home run list, per J.P Long, and he now has the fourth-most home runs through 696 games in franchise history. Devers' 141 round-trippers trails only Ted Williams (158), Jim Rice (142) and Mo Vaughn (141), per Boston's Sports Info.
-- Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth inning to earn his first save as a member of the Red Sox. It clearly means a little extra to the Red Sox newcomer, who previously earned a win with the club. Jansen saved the ball after doing so.
"That's one thing I can remember when I'm done playing, I can remember back my first save as a Red Sox," Jansen said, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "So you walk in your house, your living room, grab that ball and hold that thing, it'll bring you back memories so that's why I wanted to keep that first one. So it's great to have that."
-- The Red Sox return to Comerica Park for the middle game of the three-game set Saturday after a day off. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. ET and you can watch it on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
