Everything was going fine for Gerrit Cole until one fateful decision. The New York Yankees ace intentionally walked Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers with one out and nobody on base in the fourth inning, and it all went downhill from there.

The Red Sox, who had no hits until that point, put up three runs that inning, via Bleacher Report.

Cole had thrown a no-hitter up to that point and had faced the minimum 10 batters. The only baserunner had been Devers, who Cole plunked in the first inning.

Devers has infamously been the former Houston Astro's kryptonite over the years, which is what most likely led to the decision. However, the walk changed the complexion of the contest.

New York's 1-0 lead evaporated when Tyler O'Neil walked, Masataka Yoshida hit a ground-rule double, and Wilyer Abreu singled. Cole then gave up four more runs in the following frame, finishing the day with seven earned runs across just 4.1 innings.

Why would the Yankees make such a strange decision?

The Yankees were overthinking

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
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Devers has undoubtedly gotten the better of Cole, as he's 14-for-40 with eight homers and 20 RBI in 46 plate appearances against him all-time. However, pitchers always have the advantage over the hitter, no matter who is on the mound or at the plate. Even with Devers' domination of Cole, the hurler still retired him two-thirds of the time.

With no one on base so early in the game, the worst that could've happened at that point was Devers sending the ball to the Yankee Stadium seats and tying the contest at 1-1. However, putting the star on base created a domino effect that Cole would like to forget.

New York manager Aaron Boone predicted that Cole would eventually turn the tables on Devers, via Talkin' Yanks.

“He's also punched his ticket a lot, and you know what, the next 30 or 40 at-bats might turn more his way…I would say over the next several years those numbers will come back to within reason,” Boone assured.

Cole may regain the upper hand one day, but that day wasn't Saturday.,.