Sunday's 8-7 comeback win over the Rays was notable for a six-run eighth, but also for a curious decision by manager Alex Cora not to replace left fielder J.D. Martinez in the top of the ninth.
It turns out there's a reason for that -- Cora screwed up.
Exhibiting candor not often associated with a big league manager, Cora on Tuesday admitted his mistake.
"Honestly . . . I'm going to be honest with you," Cora said. "We scored six runs and we were so excited about it, and the manager missed that one."
Asked on Tuesday why he admitted messing up, Cora explained his approach.
"Because I did (mess up)!" he said. "Why lie? It happens. Everybody saw it. I ask our guys to be genuine, transparent, and responsible. If I'm asking them to be that way, well I'd better be that way. Because if I say something else, they know I'm not telling the truth."
UPDATE: As long as we're admitting mistakes and being accountable, the original version of this post said Xander Bogaerts was injured in the ninth. He was hurt in the seventh.
