Verlander tells Red Sox manager Cora to 'f--- off' after PitchCom issue

Warning: Video contains coarse language

Justin Verlander didn't want any part of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora when the latter came out of the dugout to see what was happening with the Houston Astros right-hander's PitchCom device during Tuesday's game.

"That was something that when I was younger would probably have affected me a lot more than it did now," Verlander said postgame about Cora's actions, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. "The old MO (modus operandi) against me was to get me to think about anything other than pitching, get me out of my game plan.

"In part, that was me being like, 'I'm done with this. You do what you want. You talk to the umpire. I'm going to worry about pitching.' It wasn't really directed (at him), even though it was. I'm sure he understands."

Meanwhile, Cora acknowledged that he didn't take Verlander's response personally.

"I think we've been in that place (acting like) the PitchCom doesn't work," Cora said, according to Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. "But when you're shaking off, shaking off, shaking off, like, why are you shaking off? ... I told him he shook off a few times. He said he did not. Then I said, 'Just go pitch.' And then he blew me off.

"But this is a kid that I have the utmost respect. We talk and all that. It's just the heat of the battle."

Verlander ended up throwing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts while scattering five hits in a 7-3 win over the Red Sox.