DETROIT — Alex Cora and his brother, Joey, went out to breakfast Monday morning in Detroit. Hours later, in the series opener between their clubs, Joey — who serves as Detroit’s third base coach — made a big impact on one of the key plays of the game.
With Tanner Houck reeling in the third inning and Detroit up, 3-0, Riley Greene laced a single into right field with two men in scoring position. Gleyber Torres was going to score automatically from third base. But Colt Keith, on second, was less sure to cross the plate on the Greene hit, which left the bat at 92.6 mph.
Joey Cora, sensing blood in the water, waved Keith home, and knowing he had a chance to throw him out, Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu charged the ball hard. He missed it, though, and it went all the way to the fence as Greene scampered around the bases for a Little League home run that made the score 6-0. The Tigers went on to win, 14-2.
Detroit’s aggressiveness waving runners home was on the mind of the Red Sox when the play happened.
“(Abreu) just missed it. He was aggressive,” said Alex Cora. “We know they’re going to be aggressive running the bases. He rushed himself and he just missed it.”
Abreu agreed.
“That’s a situation that I’m trying to be aggressive,” he said, through translator Daveson Perez. “Just unfortunately wasn’t able to come up with the ball.”
Joey Cora, who has been with the Tigers for the last two seasons, has a reputation as one of the best third base coaches in baseball due to his aptitude in sending runners. In his time with the White Sox (2004-11), Marlins (2012), Pirates (2017-21), Mets (2022-23) and Tigers (2024-25), he hasn’t always coached third, but when he has, he has made an impact.
“He’s a game-changer at third base,” said Alex Cora, before the game. “What he does over there is amazing. He got them running last year, halfway through the season, and it’s one of the reasons they got better. We’ve just got to be ready.”
The Cora brothers reunited after the game in the tunnel at Comerica Park. They’ll spend plenty of time together while the Red Sox are in town for a three-game set.
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“I love it,” Alex Cora said. “First of all. It happens that also his birthday is on Wednesday, so the fact I’m here is cool. To be around him and talk to him and pick his brain is something I always look forward to. Obviously, the competition is the competition. We both believe we have good teams and we’re going to be playing meaningful games in September. It looks that way. They’re doing a great job over there and we believe we’re going to be better. We’re playing for the same prize.”
Alex and Joey Cora have never coached together in the pros but it’s something Alex, who is nearly 10 years younger than Joey — who turns 60 on Wednesday — has said he’s interested in.
“Obviously, he’s in a different stage in his career,” Alex Cora said Monday. “I don’t know how many years he’s going to do it. We have a great coaching staff here. He’s settled in with A.J. (Hinch) over there and doing an amazing job. If it happens, it happens. If not, I know I’m going to have a fan whenever he retires — or I retire.”
