BOSTON — It was only the fifth inning Monday afternoon when Alex Cora decided to go for it.

With the Red Sox locked in a back-and-forth rock fight of a game with the Cleveland Guardians, the bases loaded and the score tied at 3-3, Cora didn’t like the matchup of the lefthanded-hitting Nathaniel Lowe against Cleveland lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski.

He decided to pinch-hit, which was something of a surprise, given how early it was in the game. But even more of a surprise was his choice to bat.

Cora turned to catcher Carlos Narvaez, an option he might not have otherwise utilized had the Red Sox not added a third catcher, Ali Sanchez, to their active roster Monday morning. Sanchez’s presence provided Cora with some insurance in the event that something happened later in the game to star

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