The Spring Training air crackled after the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4. Red Sox manager Alex Cora stunned everyone with a five-word jab at Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch: “You can’t win every call.” Fans gasped as Cora doubled down, saying umpires won’t favor Detroit forever—and Boston just proved it. Tigers fans boiled over, and Hinch didn’t stay quiet.

The game was tight until Boston’s fifth-inning rally. Rafael Devers smashed a two-run double off Tarik Skubal, who’d been shaky, and Ceddanne Rafaela added a homer. Detroit’s Javier Báez and Spencer Torkelson flopped—0-for-7 combined, with Báez bobbling a key grounder. A close call at first went Boston’s way, sparking Hinch’s dugout protests. Post-game, Cora grinned and dropped his taunt, hinting Detroit’s been leaning on umps all spring. “That’s over now,” he said. “We ended it.”

Cora’s words lit a fuse. Detroit fans on X erupted—“Cora’s a clown, we don’t need favors!” one snapped. Another fumed, “Six wins don’t mean squat—cry more!” The Tigers are 9-11 in camp, while Boston’s 6-12, but this win felt personal. Cora’s claim stings after close calls—like a March 14 strike zone favoring Detroit against the Rays—fed perceptions of luck. “Umpires can’t carry them every game,” Cora told reporters, calm but cutting.

Hinch fired back quick. “We play hard, not for handouts,” he said at 11:50 PM PDT, jaw tight. “Alex can talk—our record’s not his scoreboard.” He pointed to Detroit’s 78-84 finish last year and ALDS run—earned, not gifted. “Focus on your team,” he added, brushing off Cora’s dig. Hinch had benched Báez, Torkelson, and Riley Greene post-loss for “reset,” not umps, he clarified—making Cora’s jab a cheap shot to some.

Fans aren’t letting it slide. “Hinch owned him—Red Sox are trash,” a Tigers supporter tweeted. Boston backers countered: “Cora’s right, Detroit’s been babied.” The March 27 Opening Day—Dodgers for Detroit, Angels for Boston—looms, and this spat’s fuel for both camps. Detroit’s spring’s been rocky—Greene’s .250, Báez’s errors—but Hinch’s rebuild from 66-96 in 2021 to playoffs shows grit. Cora, with a 2018 title, leans on swagger, even after Boston’s 81-81 2024.

This isn’t over. Cora’s taunt—“You can’t win every call”—hangs heavy, a challenge Hinch won’t forget. Tigers fans demand payback, maybe when the teams meet June 9. For now, Hinch’s cool defiance holds Detroit steady. “We’ll see who’s standing later,” he said. Spring Training just got spicier.