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00:00Alex Cora, how are we doing this afternoon?

00:03Doing good, doing good. How are you guys?

00:05Good. So this is not going to sound like a softball right off the bat,

00:09but in light of last night's game, I've got to ask you,

00:12it feels like every week we talk to you, we're talking about win two, lose two,

00:15win two, lose two, get back to 500.

00:19How frustrating is that?

00:20How do you shake that trend that is the 500 baseball team

00:24that you've become over the last year plus?

00:25Yeah, I mean, it sucks to sound this way, but we've just got to play better, right?

00:33If you look at our games, especially on the road, since Cleveland,

00:38we've been in a lot of them.

00:41We had a lead in Cleveland, up 3-0.

00:44We lost that game 4-3.

00:45The two games in Toronto, in Kansas City, the X-Rainting game,

00:50and then the game yesterday, right?

00:51We didn't play well the first game here.

00:53We got hit.

00:54So you take those, right?

00:55That happens.

00:56But yesterday, we came back.

00:58We did an outstanding job offensively, especially at the bottom third of the lineup,

01:01and we didn't finish the game.

01:03So, you know, there's a lot of good things that we're doing,

01:06others that we have to improve.

01:08And, you know, we got a chance today to finish a road trip on a positive note,

01:13obviously facing probably the best pitcher in baseball.

01:16Alex, you know, a lot of people, you know,

01:18this obviously frustrating up and down kind of season,

01:20and then someone would say, you know, the team maybe needs a jolt,

01:23maybe perhaps bringing up some young guys just to maybe make a point.

01:26Do you see this team needing a jolt or just little tweaks at this stage of the season?

01:35No, we need to execute pitches.

01:37I think that's the most important thing, especially in the later part of the game.

01:42You know, there's been a lot of damage done against us.

01:45You even go to a series against Minnesota, right?

01:49You know, we lost that one.

01:50We had a chance to beat them two out of three, even sweep them, right?

01:54And we didn't execute pitches.

01:55So, obviously, there's a lot of talk about what, you know,

01:59some of the guys are doing in the minor leagues, right?

02:01And, you know, obviously, they're really good at what they do.

02:04But, you know, we have some good players here, and they're doing their job.

02:08I think defense can improve, and, obviously, the pinching part of it,

02:14especially when we have the league late in games.

02:17Alex, obviously, a lot was made last week of John Henry and Craig Breslow

02:23flying out to Kansas City for the meeting with Rafael Devers.

02:27Reports were that you were in the room as well.

02:30So, did you feel as though the meeting was productive?

02:33Were you surprised Mr. Henry decided to fly out there?

02:36And is there anything you feel like maybe could have been done

02:38to prevent things coming to such a head like that

02:42and, you know, causing a disruption in the season?

02:46I don't think it's disruption in the season, to be honest with you.

02:49Rafi was very vocal of what he said last week, right?

02:54And I think it tells everybody that John, Mr. Henry, he cares about the team, right?

03:00And he told me right away, I'm going to fly over there.

03:03He did.

03:04We had a good meeting, to say the least.

03:07Obviously, I'm not going to get into the details of it.

03:10And here we are, right?

03:12And Rafi had a great weekend.

03:14You know, we played well in Kansas City, and we have struggled here in Detroit.

03:17But I think, as a whole, everybody's on the same page.

03:20We just got to keep having conversations and keep working towards getting better.

03:24And as of now, as you guys know, today we're facing a lefty.

03:28Sogi's playing first base.

03:30Rafi's the agent.

03:31And, you know, this is where we're at right now.

03:34Red Sox manager Alex Cora here with us on WEI Afternoons.

03:38Alex, when we talk about your style or skills as a manager, I know a lot of people talk about relationships being one of your strengths.

03:46The relationships you have with the clubhouse and individual players.

03:49And I'm wondering, how do those relationships play or how do they come into the equation in a situation like what's going on with Devers?

03:58I think at the end of the day, the relationship is the manager player, right?

04:02It's not Alex and Rafi, right?

04:04And we have conversations.

04:05We go over stuff.

04:06And at the end, we're shooting for the same goal.

04:09It's to win the World Series, right?

04:10And like I said before, our conversations are private.

04:13You know, the one thing I need, you know, from our players is to be ready at 7.05, 7.10, 6.40, whenever the game is.

04:20And I think we have done a pretty good job as a staff, right?

04:23But, yeah, people are going to talk about why he doesn't want to play first or why he's the DH, you know?

04:29They talk about the way we handle things in the offseason.

04:33And, you know, you can always be better in certain areas.

04:37I do believe we went, you know, the right way about all this stuff.

04:43And people might agree or disagree.

04:45But, you know, I'm in the room.

04:46I know how it works, you know?

04:47And from my end, and this is what I always tell the players, you know,

04:52whatever decision we make professionally or in the business or in the game,

04:57it doesn't affect, you know, who we think, you know, our relationship is up to field.

05:01And that's the reality of it.

05:02It's never personal.

05:03It's just, you know, what we're trying to accomplish.

05:05And that's the way I see it.

05:07Alex, just to kind of follow up on Andy's question, you know,

05:12obviously there's the Rafi stuff, you know, you deal with it him personally and go on.

05:19But, you know, it feels like, and reports are, that maybe it's just impacted the rest of the locker room.

05:24The guys have an opinion on that one way or the other.

05:27Do you feel like this is the type of issue that you have to address with the team?

05:32Or is that something you don't see as necessary?

05:38Yeah, like I always said, you know, whatever conversations we have in the clubhouse,

05:41stay in the clubhouse, right?

05:42Meetings, no meetings, one-on-one conversations.

05:46You know, we're together in this.

05:47And, you know, coming out of what happened last week, we went to Kansas City.

05:51We won two out of three.

05:52The kid had an outstanding weekend.

05:54Now we're here in Detroit.

05:55We haven't won the first two games.

05:56And like I said, we're facing the best pitcher on the planet tonight.

05:59Hopefully we can do the job and win the game, you know.

06:01But I think, you know, I have the pulse of what's going on.

06:05The guys are showing up every day and ready to work

06:07and busting their tails to win games.

06:09And that's the sort of thing.

06:11Alex, I know we, again, we're going to revisit the same thing

06:13I've said a couple of times during these interviews

06:15about the Sox being so consistently inconsistent.

06:18And, you know, one of the things, unfortunately,

06:20that has been consistent about the team this season

06:23is finding a way into leading the league in stats

06:26that I know don't make you very happy,

06:28like at one point leading in strikeouts.

06:30And now, unfortunately, the Red Sox lead the majors in blown saves with 11.

06:35You know, Whitlock, another tough night last night.

06:37How do you get around on that

06:39and what can be done to try to remedy that as quickly as possible?

06:43Yeah, I think the most important thing is to revisit what happened yesterday,

06:47go over the at-bats, you know.

06:49Javi biased twice.

06:50We threw a breaking ball for strikes.

06:52That's a no-no for Javi.

06:54And then we tried to expand and we hung a pitch, right?

06:57And it was in the same spot, right?

06:58And those are things that, you know, we have to talk to them,

07:02go over their reports, go over how we're going to execute this.

07:06And we've been burned a few times, right, over the course of the season,

07:10you know, late in games.

07:12And it's a bad taste, right?

07:13It sucks, to be honest with you.

07:15But these guys are really good at what they do.

07:18They're going to go through their hot stretch or hot streak, you know,

07:21and they're going to put zeros on the board.

07:23It just happens that, you know, the last two or three weeks,

07:27it's happened a lot, right?

07:28And it has cost us a lot of games.

07:31But we trust these guys, you know, stuff-wise, we're really good.

07:34You know, I think it's at the end of the day, you know,

07:37those hanging breaking balls, what we have to do,

07:39especially when we're heading to count, you know, to execute it.

07:42And we're working on it.

07:44Tanner Houck had a tough performance, obviously, the other night.

07:47Just wondering, I guess, how long is the leash on a guy like that,

07:50especially when it feels like you have some depth in the rotation

07:53and have some extra arms?

07:55How do you get him turned around back to all-star caliber pitcher?

07:59Yeah, there's a few things that we have recognized the last few days.

08:03And even before that, you know, and release point, you know, his delivery,

08:07the action of his pitches, you know, if you compare the sinker he threw

08:12to Glaber Torres two days ago in the first inning,

08:16it's night and day compared to the sinker he was throwing in Toronto

08:21against Lottie, Bichette, and Kirk, right?

08:23So conviction behind the pitches is really important, right?

08:27Pitching at 91, 92 is not great, right?

08:31I think there's more in the tank, and we saw it throughout the outing, right?

08:34The, you know, the more he got hit, then, you know, he'd step under the gas

08:40and he'd start throwing harder.

08:41Command was off that night.

08:43So there's a few things that the pitching department has recognized,

08:46and we're going to work on it.

08:47Alex, thoughts on first base?

08:50Last week when we talked to you, it sounded as if you would have been okay

08:54if, you know, Romy Gonzalez maybe kind of took the job there,

08:58but he's on the IL right now.

09:00Just your overall thoughts, Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard filling in.

09:04Just that position, where it stands currently, first base.

09:09Yeah, where we at, like I said, Sog is playing first today,

09:12and Friday we're facing two lefties, most likely Toro.

09:16We play Saturday.

09:17And if everything goes well, I think Romy should be back with us on day 10

09:22of his IL stint, you know?

09:24He's feeling good.

09:25He's moving better.

09:27It's just a matter of see if we need a rehab assignment,

09:30and if he needs it, he'll go get a few at-bats, and he'll be with us.

09:34So both of them very good defensively.

09:36They made some plays, and I think the at-bats have been solid, you know?

09:39Sog especially, you know, when he got here.

09:42Just a different at-bat, you know?

09:44Very patient, puts the ball in play, played the little game, right?

09:47And like I said, defensively, it's something that we really, you know, care about.

09:53You know, we have to catch the ball over there.

09:54We have to make plays.

09:55And so far, both of them have done a good job.

09:58Alex, 4-6 over your last 10, but still you haven't lost a lot of ground

10:02because Yankees 5-5, Jays 500, Rays 500, Orioles 4-6.

10:07Obviously, the AL East is struggling.

10:09So it feels like if you guys could just build momentum, catch fire,

10:13win five or six in a row, you could really turn things around quickly.

10:17Is there any one extra something besides, you know, not hanging a breaking ball

10:20or just putting good barrels to the bat that you think this team needs

10:24to get that winning streak going?

10:26Yeah, obviously, coming here from Kansas City, we gave momentum,

10:32and then we gave it right back, you know, on the first game of the series.

10:37Yesterday, it felt great until it didn't, right?

10:41So it'll be good to finish strong this road trip, play good today,

10:46and win the ball game.

10:48We got an off day tomorrow, and then it's a long homestand.

10:51And we've been talking about this for the last two or three years, you know.

10:53We have to be better at home.

10:55We face the Braves.

10:56We have to face the Mets and then Baltimore.

10:58You know, having that great homestand that we haven't had in years, you know,

11:02it feels like we haven't had a long winning streak either.

11:05So, you know, 8 out of 10, 13 out of 15, 13 out of 16, you know, that'll be great.

11:12And if we do that, you know, then you can survive for a week, you know, play for 100,

11:17and then you go right after it, you know.

11:19And that's how winning teams do it, you know.

11:21It doesn't happen winning 20 in a row, you know.

11:24That happened once or twice that I remember.

11:27Colorado in 07 and Cleveland, I think it was in 17, right?

11:31So just keep winning series, which is the most important thing, obviously.

11:35Save this one.

11:36Win this one and then go home and dominate.

11:37Alex, we had some pretty big news in the world of baseball yesterday,

11:41and I know you're a fan of baseball, a historian of the game.

11:44The announcement from the commissioner's office that Pete Rose and others are now eligible for the Hall of Fame.

11:50Just what was your reaction to that news?

11:54A little bit of a surprise, you know, with the decision.

11:57But, you know, these people, they give a lot of thoughts to stuff like this.

12:02So I can tell you, you know, I lived it, right, a few years ago.

12:06And, you know, it's not a decision that was made one day or a reaction to something.

12:12So respect the decision, you know.

12:15Obviously, a lot of people are excited about what might happen in the future.

12:19It's not a given that that might happen,

12:21but at least it's one step of hope, you know, for Pete to make it to Cooperstown.

12:27Hey, Alex, I can't get off first base.

12:29I can just ask you about it again.

12:30The homestand coming up, a lot of people are thinking that maybe perhaps that's an opportunity

12:34to get to Rafi some work there at first base.

12:38Do you anticipate, you know, having Rafi take grounders at first during this homestand

12:43to maybe prepare him for an opportunity to play first?

12:46Like I said, you know, conversations are going on.

12:50You know, there's not a given Rafi's going to take grounders at first in the homestand.

12:54But we'll keep working at it, not only with him, but with others.

12:58And, you know, I know Craig is doing a good job just, you know, on the phone trying to gather as much information as possible.

13:06You know, the goal here is to make the team better, right?

13:08I think the most important thing here in the short run is to get Romy back, getting healthy,

13:12give him a chance to play first and see where he takes us.

13:14Alex, obviously you've got your hands full tonight against maybe the best pitcher in baseball in Scooble.

13:20And you could use, like you said, a big dub to come home and start a homestand off on the right way.

13:25But, you know, obviously there's a huge game going on tonight right around the corner from us at the Garden.

13:30Celtics are in an elimination game.

13:32Odds against them against the Knicks.

13:33You know, if you're, you know, you've managed in elimination games, you know when the stakes are really high.

13:39What's that extra something you bring as a coach, a manager, leader of men in an elimination game to try to relax them,

13:45but at the same time let them know it's go time, get it done?

13:49I think it goes both ways, right?

13:51You're excited about the opportunity to compete again, right?

13:53And you have a chance to make something special, but at the same time understanding that you have to slow it down.

13:58And I think that's what the guys are going to do.

14:01I wouldn't be surprised if they go out there tonight and they win by 20 and take it to Madison Sport Garden and see what happens over there.

14:09All right, Alex, I appreciate you joining us.

14:11Wish your brother happy birthday, by the way.

14:13The only thing we don't want you to give him as a gift would be a victory.

14:15You know what?

14:17Enough of him.

14:18Bro, I saw him last night.

14:19And all kidding aside, people, sometimes people say, oh, he's VA.

14:23I just want to share what I see here.

14:27I think that's the cool thing about this show and talking to the media.

14:31So last night, we're up in the 11th, whatever it is, or 12th, and Javi hits the homer, and you see my brother's reaction.

14:40And my thought was like, this is freaking real.

14:44He was so excited for his team, obviously, and he forgot that his little brother was on the other side.

14:52He can feel less about me.

14:53Yeah.

14:54All right, Alex, thanks for joining us, and we'll talk to you next week.

14:57Good luck tonight.

14:58Thanks, Alex.

14:59We'll see you guys next week.

Alex Cora joins WEEI Afternoons

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