Alex Cora was ejected in the seventh inning of the Boston Red Sox's 4-1 loss against the Houston Astros. Cora was tossed for an issue that stemmed from the sixth inning. Jarren Duran advanced to second base on a balk.

Cora's protestations began in the top of the sixth inning with Astros righthander Hunter Brown on the mound. After Brown walked Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, he was called for a balk. Two batters later, Brown switched from the full windup to the stretch mid at-bat, prompting the Red Sox to object to ultimately no avail.

Manager Alex Cora made a promise to umpire Junior Valentine before the first game of the Red Sox and Astros series on Monday.