Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated the team intentionally tried to hurt the Yankees' Aaron Judge.

NEW YORK — Saturday's game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox looked like it could lead to the final game of the season between the two rivals, thanks to some pregame comments from Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

The game was self-contained, however, as the Yankees took three of four from the Red Sox to pull out a 5-2 victory.

Before the game, Cora indicated that first pitcher Brian Bello intentionally threw to Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in the sixth inning Saturday in retaliation for Gerrit Cole's hit to Rafael Devers in the first. Cora was asked if he considered Devers' intentional walk and hit-by-pitch incident on Saturday to be a closed case.

“It was close to the sixth inning yesterday,” Cora said. “We had our chances. It didn't happen and we have to move on.”

Bello threw a 97.4 mph sinker behind Judge on a 0-0 count; He then threw a 97.2 mph four-seam fastball in and out of the plate.

“It's baseball. He missed,” Judge said after Sunday's game when asked about Cora's comments. “There's nothing I can do but go first with it. It is what it is.”

Cora said he spoke with Judge after Saturday's game and called it a “professional” conversation, but neither he nor Judge would reveal what was discussed.

“It was a good convo, we'll keep it that way,” the judge said.

On Sunday, Judge's two-run homer in the third gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead. As he advanced to first, the Yankees slugger carried his bat nearly all the way down the first-base line.

“It's a big homer. We're playing the Red Sox. It's a big rivalry, big game, big moment. I'm having some fun with it out there,” he said.

The homer helped squash any momentum the Red Sox hoped to gain from Saturday's win.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday he believed Cora was playing this moment to help provide a spark for a team out of the postseason picture.

“I think it's a manager who's using that moment to rally his troops because they're fighting for their playoff lives,” Boone said. “They're playing for a lot there. And I think it's an opportunity to kind of galvanize them a little bit. Perhaps it's a little gamesmanship. So that's part of it.”

Before Sunday's loss, Cora expressed hope that Saturday's play would serve as a springboard for his club. But Boston now sits 4 1/2 games back of the third American League wild-card spot while New York owns a three-game lead in first place in the AL East.

“I was talking to a veteran today, if it happens (for the playoffs), we'll look back (Saturday) and we'll probably thank Gerrit Cole to be honest with you,” Cora said. “And hopefully that happens. Hopefully we can face them in the playoffs because he has to pitch. But, we still have a long way to go. I'm not making promises that we're going to make the playoffs, but if we do, I think Everyone will look back on Saturday and hope it happens.”

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(Photo: Ed Jurga/Getty Images)