Red Sox’ Alex Cora on Rafael Devers play: ‘It wasn’t lack of hustle’

Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers homers in the ninth inning against the Yankees on Sunday. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)AP

Red Sox DH Rafael Devers didn’t run out a slow ground ball (68 mph off his bat) to second base in the sixth inning Sunday.

The slugger likely would have beaten out the throw to first base if he had sprinted. He instead slowed down and Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu tossed to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt for the final out of a five-run inning.

Manager Alex Cora was asked after the game if it was a lack of hustle or something else.

“It wasn’t lack of hustle,” Cora said.

The Red Sox won 11-7 over New York to take two of three games here at Yankee Stadium.

Cora also was asked if anything is going on with Devers physically.

“No. It wasn’t lack of hustle,” Cora said. “We’ll leave it at that.”

The ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast showed Devers appearing to maybe grimace.

“We talk about it. If he needs a blow, he needs a blow,” Cora said when asked about Devers potentially grimacing. “The next one I told him to go hit it out of the ballpark and jog.”

Devers did just as Cora instructed. He belted a 393-foot homer in his next at-bat in the ninth inning. It left his bat at 111.2 mph.

He’s batting .283 with a .407 on-base percentage, .522 slugging percentage, .929 OPS, 14 home runs, 18 doubles, 57 RBIs, 43 runs, 51 walks and 68 strikeouts in 67 games (307 plate appearances).