Ex-Red Sox Manager Terry Francona Makes Admission About Alex Cora

Longtime Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona once again returned to Fenway Park on Monday night, but the game didn't go as planned for his Cincinnati Reds.

Reds rookie pitcher Chase Burns was making his second career start, and the highly-touted prospect got leveled by the struggling Boston offense. Burns allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks, and only recorded one out before Francona gave him the hook.

For the Red Sox, the 13-6 win was cathartic after a frustrating 1-5 week. But there may have also been a secret behind their offensive success.

There was a popular sentiment among observers during the game that Burns was tipping his pitches, but Francona wasn't sure. However, he made sure to give credit to his most recent successor in Boston, current Red Sox skipper Alex Cora.

“I don't know,” Francona said, per Molly Burkhardt of MLB.com. “That's something that you always probably need to check. He threw some pitches that caught a lot of the plate and they were definitely looking hard. And those are always things we try to check for.

"Cora is one of the best at that. … They were certainly ready and they were coming out hacking, and they were squaring it up pretty good.”

After Burns was victimized by an error on a soft ground ball from Roman Anthony, Red Sox batters produced six straight exit velocities of 92 miles per hour or better, including the last four over 100 miles per hour. Trevor Story nipped him for a three-run home run, then Marcelo Mayer and David Hamilton followed with hits that helped knock Burns out.

Cora has often been praised for his preparation, particularly in games with some rivalry stakes. Francona, who has managed for 24 years now, clearly has a lot of respect for a fellow Boston World Series champion.

Burns won't face the Red Sox again until at least 2026, so the Reds can worry about his pitch-tipping issues later. But if Tuesday's starter, Brady Singer, is giving off any tells, Cora and his staff can be counted on to exploit them.