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Cora understands Fenway booing Story: 'That's part of the equation'

Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Boston Red Sox fans were unhappy with yet another poor showing from recently recruited shortstop Trevor Story.

As Story retreated to the home dugout after striking out for the fourth time against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, the Fenway Park faithful let the boos rain down.

Manager Alex Cora was understanding of both sides, defending Story's professionalism but also maintaining that Red Sox fans hold their players to a certain standard.

"Expectations here are what they are," Cora said, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. "What the fans expect are the same things he expects. That's part of the equation."

Cora continued: "He's working hard. Very structured, always competing, working at it. Working at second base. Since Day 1, the work ethic, the way he goes about it, it hasn't changed."

Story himself was unavailable to reporters after donning the golden sombrero.

The 29-year-old's four-strikeout game - all against reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who racked up 11 Ks in the dominant outing - is an exclamation point on a rough start to his Red Sox tenure. The two-time All-Star is now hitting .210/.293/.296 with seven doubles, eight walks, and 29 strikeouts over 21 games.

Following the lockout and after spring training had begun, the Red Sox and Story agreed to a six-year, $140-million contract that would put the natural shortstop at second base while Xander Bogaerts plays out what might be the final year of his contract. Bogaerts, who is signed through 2025 with a 2026 vesting option, is able and reportedly likely to opt out at the end of this season.

Story has been hitting leadoff for the Red Sox for the past 13 consecutive games. Moving forward, Cora entertained making some changes to the lineup with the Chicago White Sox as their next opponent.

"We'll see," Cora said. "We have to be ready. (The White Sox) have some good pitching, too, so we'll do what we have to do to try to win a game."

Story is a two-time Silver Slugger and spent the previous six years with the Colorado Rockies, where he hit .272/.340/.523 with 158 homers and 100 steals in 745 games while providing above-average defense at shortstop. He was coming off a down season last year, during which he posted a league-average 100 wRC+.

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