HOUSTON -- Back in Houston for the first time since he was identified as one of the centerpieces in the Astros’ infamous sign-stealing investigation, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had little choice but to again confront his past prior to Monday’s opener of a four-game series between two top American League contenders.

In 2017, Cora was the bench coach for the Astros when they won what is now viewed as one of the most controversial World Series titles in history.

In ’18, he managed the Red Sox as they took out Houston with three straight wins to close out the Astros in Games 3-5 of the American League Championship Series.

So how did it feel to be back with everything that has happened since January of 2020?

“A lot different,” said Cora. “Obviously not my proudest moments the last 14, 15 months. When we talk about Houston and myself -- the fact that we’re playing good baseball, the story should be the Boston Red Sox against the Houston Astros, two of the best teams in the big leagues. But like I’ve been telling the guys, and you guys can ask them if you want to, but they know. I put myself in this situation, I handle this situation the way I’m going to handle it.”

From the day Cora was rehired to manage the Red Sox last November, he has been accountable.

“I’m not afraid to talk about it, it’s part of who I am,” said Cora. “It’s part of my present. It was part of the past. It’s going to be part of my future. It’s something I’m not proud of, but at the same time, I’ve got a job to do and my job is to manage the Boston Red Sox and hopefully, get back to the World Series.”

Cora didn’t want to get into specifics of how his relationship with players he coached in Houston has evolved since the investigation that led to his suspension from MLB for the 2020 season, but he did cite three close friends he looks forward to reuniting with.

“Carlos [Correa], Martín [Maldonado] and Alex [Cintron] -- they still work for the Astros, they’re good friends. I’m looking forward to seeing them and giving them a big hug,” said Cora. “I haven’t seen them in a while and they’re a big part -- not only of the baseball part of it -- but also on a personal note. Looking forward to seeing them.”

The only specific resentment Cora wished to cite from the fallout was the way former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow targeted him in MLB’s investigation. Luhnow was also suspended for the ’20 season by MLB. Unlike Cora and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, Luhnow has not returned to baseball since his suspension expired.

“I think out of the whole report, the way Jeff talked about myself, just saying, ‘the bench coach’, that really bothered me,” Cora said. “Obviously, I don’t know what was said in the investigation. I know what I said and what I went through, and it is what it is. I got suspended. That’s something that will always be on my resume, and I think at the end, we all made a mistake. We all messed up, and we all are paying the price.”

For Cora, walking back into Minute Maid Park will probably be a mixed bag of emotions for the rest of his career. He said the good memories most likely to come flooding back when he comes to Houston are the ones forged with the Red Sox, not the Astros.

“I remember a grand slam by Jackie Bradley Jr. I remember the catch by [Andrew] Benintendi,” said Cora. “I remember Jackie hitting a home run off [Josh] James. There’s some good memories here [with] the Red Sox.”