Why Red Sox Skipper Is 'Very Proud' Of Mets MVP Candidate Despite Sweep

It was a bittersweet series for the Boston manager at Citi Field

Aug 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (left) and coach Andy Fox (right) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Nothing went right for Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox at Citi Field this week.

in a three-game sweep against the surging New York Mets, the Red Sox essentially saw their diminishing playoff hopes slip away for good. Boston is back to .500, at 70-70, for the first time since Jun. 14.

While Cora deals with the woes of another brutal second half in Boston, he was able to look across the field in Queens and see a superstar on the rise. But as the Mets' best player torched his team, Cora was reportedly also filled with pride.

Cora and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor have known each other for close to 30 years, since Lindor was a kid growing up in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Cora, one of just two Puerto Rican managers in Major League Baseball, spoke about the joy of seeing his fellow countryman shine on the biggest stage.

“First of all, I’m very proud of [Lindor]. This is a kid we saw grow up back home," Cora said, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “There is a vibe about him that not too many guys have at the big league level, from the walk-up song, his smile, to the energy, to the commitment, to the structure, to the discipline... It brings joy to us [in Puerto Rico]. We love watching him play.”

In the series, Lindor went 6-for-12 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored. He has become a bonafide Most Valuable Player candidate in the National League, currently trailing only Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the betting markets.

Lindor also spoke about what playing well against Cora's team meant to him, according to Ladson.

“You always bring that extra [motivation] when you are playing against somebody that you know and respect and who would give crap back to me," Lindor said. "He is amazing. I love him. We have been going at it for years.”

Cora has a world of issues to sort out as his team returns to Boston, but at least there was a silver lining in the ugly beatdown in the Big Apple. Now, the Red Sox need to focus on finding a Lindor of their own to man shortstop in future seasons.

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