Alex Cora on Eduardo Rodriguez Mimicking Carlos Correa: 'We Don't Have to Do That'

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he told starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez that mimicking Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa's celebration was a mistake.

Rodriguez pointed toward his wrist Monday night after getting Correa to ground out in the sixth inning, which is the same thing the Astros star did after a home run in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

"We just show up, we play, and we move on, and he knows," Cora told reporters. "I let him know. We don't have to do that. If we're looking for motivation outside of what we're trying to accomplish, we're in the wrong business. The only motivation we have is to win four games against them and move on to the next round."

Rodriguez explained he got caught up in the moment as Boston cruised to a 12-3 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 advantage in the series.

"That was part of the moment," he said. "... I will apologize to Correa if I see him in person because that's not something I normally do. It was just part of the game."

Correa's celebration came after he crushed a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 1. The Astros held on for a 5-4 win in the series opener, but the Red Sox have won the last two contests.

The shortstop said an apology from the Boston starter wouldn't be necessary and he hoped more players would be willing to show emotion in key moments, which he views as a positive for baseball.

"I thought it was kind of cool," Correa told reporters. "It's just the way baseball should trend going forward. We talk about baseball growing and more people coming to watch the sport, you need to have more things like that. You need to let people have fun and the game should move in that direction, where you can show emotions and be yourself and keep it real."

While Correa is right that it adds to the entertainment value for fans, a lot of key people within baseball, including many of those in executive and coaching positions, still believe in the sport's unwritten rules, so those types of outward expressions are likely years away from becoming the norm.

Cora said his message to Rodriguez, who he pulled aside for a conversation immediately after the moment, was simple: "Don't do that."

The right-hander delivered a strong start in Game 3, giving up three earned runs on five hits and no walks across six innings. He struck out seven and earned the win.

Boston, which has averaged 8.8 runs in its six wins so far this postseason, will aim to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in Game 4 at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

The Red Sox are scheduled to send Nick Pivetta (4.53 regular-season ERA) to the mound against the Astros' Zack Greinke (4.16) in the critical game.

First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.