"I'm done with this... Do what you want" - When Astros ace Justin Verlander recounted chain of events that led to him saying 'f--k off' to Alex Cora

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander got into a verbal fight with Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora in an August 2023 game. The three-time Cy Young winner blew off Alex Cora when he asked him to hurry in the second inning. Verlander, who was struggling with his PitchCom device, was caught on the mic, asking Cora to "f*** off."

While addressing the situation in the post-game interaction, Cora clarified that he thought Verlander was pretending to struggle with the PitchCom device to avoid a pitch clock violation.

"We've seen this before," Cora told reporters. "I think we've been in that place, too -- kind of [acting] like the PitchCom doesn't work. But when you're shaking off, shaking off, shaking off, what are you shaking off for? ... I told him he shook off a few times. He said he did not. I said, 'Just go pitch,' and then he blew me off." [MassLive.com.]

Verlander, on his part, downplayed the question in the presser.

"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."

Alex Cora holds Justin Verlander in high regard

Despite the excitement in between the games, Cora was nothing but respectful of Justin Verlander, who may find himself in Cooperstown someday. In the presser, he said he held Verlander in high regard, calling him "one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game."

"[Verlander] is a kid I have the utmost respect [for]," Cora said. "We talk and all that stuff. It's just the heat of the battle, whatever. He's one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game, especially the last 12, 13 years."

The Astros won the game 7-3 on the back of a stellar outing by Justin Verlander and a home run by Kyle Tucker. The Astros ace pitched six scoreless innings for five hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.

Cora, on his part, was later ejected from the game for his infraction with the umpires regarding balls and strikes.