Alex Cora Reveals Why Red Sox Didn’t Challenge Colton Cowser
The Boston Red Sox found themselves at the center of scrutiny on Monday night after a pivotal moment in their matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. In the sixth inning, rookie outfielder Colton Cowser reached first base on a close play that appeared reviewable, yet the Red Sox chose not to challenge. After the game, manager Alex Cora explained the decision and shed light on the process behind it.
Cowser’s infield single came with two outs and the score still tight, adding fuel to Boston fans’ frustration when replay angles shown on the broadcast suggested the play might have been overturned. Instead, the inning continued, and Baltimore ultimately capitalized later in the frame.
Cora, however, stressed that the decision wasn’t made lightly. “We have a system in place,” he told reporters postgame. “Our video room gets one look, sometimes two, and they have to make a call in about 10 seconds. If they don’t feel confident it’s going to be overturned, we don’t challenge. That’s what happened there.”
The manager admitted that hindsight made the sequence look worse, especially since replay reviews afterward seemed to favor Boston’s case. Still, he defended his staff, emphasizing the difficulty of making those snap judgments. “It’s easy after watching five angles in slow motion,” Cora said. “But during the game, you don’t always get that luxury.”
The non-challenge sparked discussion among fans and analysts who noted the significance of keeping every possible baserunner off against a strong Orioles lineup. Cora acknowledged the frustration but reiterated that he trusts his replay crew. “They’ve been good for us all year. Tonight it didn’t work out, but we move on,” he added.
Boston went on to drop the game, and while the Cowser play wasn’t the sole reason, it highlighted the razor-thin margins teams face. For the Red Sox, the incident serves as another reminder of how critical – and complicated – replay strategy can be in today’s game.
