Under-fire Red Sox manager Alex Cora criticized by MLB analyst for persisting with struggling Kyle Barraclough against Astros

A major incident occurred in the Boston Red Sox game against the Houston Astros and it had something to do with Alex Cora.

Red Sox pitcher Kyle Barraclough had a super bad day on the mound on Monday. He entered the game with two outs in the fifth inning against the Astros. The Red Sox were leading the game 4-3 at that point. In the end, the Astros prevailed 13-5.

"Kyle Barraclough vs. Astros tonight: 4.1 IP, 10 ER, 11 H, 1 SO, 5 BB, 3 HBP, 94 P"

MLB analyst Ben Verlander criticized Red Sox manager Alex Cora's decision to stick with Kyle Barraclough amidst Astros' pressure:

"Alex Cora needs to answer for what he just did to Kyle Barraclough last inning. I’m baffled," Verlander tweeted.

Barraclough has only played three times this year. His ERA as the game began was a respectable 2.70. It now registers at 12.91, an increase of more than 10 points.

Here's what Red Sox manager Alex Cora said post the game

Post-game, the Red Sox manager said that it was because he was powerless to do otherwise.

“We’re still resetting (the bullpen),” Cora said.

“We had a lot of guys down. It’s awful,” he added, of how it felt to witness Barraclough carry the weight. “It’s uncomfortable… It’s not easy.”

Cora spent 14 seasons playing in the MLB. After retiring as a player, he became the Houston Astros' bench coach in 2017, which was the year they won their first World Series. The next year, Cora became the manager of the Boston Red Sox and led the team to victory in the 2018 World Series.

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Cora was linked to a sign-stealing incident during his stint with the Astros after the 2019 season. As a result of Cora's involvement in the Astros controversy, he was later suspended till the 2020 postseason by the MLB.

He rejoined the Red Sox as their manager when his ban was up.