Justin Verlander tells Red Sox manager Alex Cora to ‘f–k off’ after PitchCom issue

There was no mistaking the words that Justin Verlander uttered to Red Sox manager Alex Cora during the second inning at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night. 

During Houston’s 7-3 win, the Astros ace was heard telling Cora to “f–k off” when the Boston skipper came onto the field during a delay while Verlander was fixing an issue with his PitchCom device.

One of the announcers on the Astros’ AT&T Sportsnet broadcast can be heard laughing after the right-hander’s comments were picked up by the field microphones.

The whole situation started when a PitchCom issue with Verlander caused what looked to be a pitch clock violation.

While the 2022 American League Cy Young award winner was trying to sort out the issue, Cora came out of the dugout to argue for an automatic ball, which the former Met did not appreciate. 

“You shook him off five times,” Cora could be heard saying as he walked out, with Cora seeming to imply that there was no actual issue with the device.

Alex Cora’s got a lot of nerve getting upset at Verlander for trying to fix his PitchCom considering Cora is the reason we need PitchCom in the first place.pic.twitter.com/t3adyxtOdg

— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) August 23, 2023 Justin Verlander yelled at Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

That prompted a quick retort from Verlander. 

“I didn’t shake that at bat. F–k off, Alex,” he said. 

Interestingly, Cora and Verlander were together in Houston in 2017 after the ace was traded from the Tigers to the Astros at the end of the summer before the team’s World Series run, while Cora was the team’s bench coach.

The second-inning issue didn’t throw Verlander off his game.

Verlander (9-6) allowed five hits and struck out a season-high nine in six scoreless innings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora talks with umpire Pat Hoberg after Hoberg ejected Alex Verdugo during the fourth inning of their 7-3 loss to the Astros in Houston.AP

It was his fourth start since returning to the Astros in a trade with the Mets.

Verlander laughed it off after that game, saying Cora might have done it just to try and fluster him.

“In part it was just me being like, I’m done with this,” Verlander said. “You do what you want, talk to the umpire. I’m going to worry about pitching.”

“Between the last start and this one, I felt like I really found something mechanically that answers a lot of questions for me,” Verlander said. “I think the results were really good.”

Verlander struck out nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk.

He lowered his season ERA to 3.19.

Things didn’t get better for Cora, though, who was ejected after arguing with home plate umpire Pat Hoberg.

An animated Cora even kicked the dirt around the dish as he got his money’s worth.

— with AP