Dustup sparks Yankees in 9-6 win over Red Sox

AP

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Rodriguez was hit by a fastball his first time up and then homered to start a four-run sixth inning that rallied the New York Yankees to a 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected after storming out of the dugout to holler at plate umpire Brian O'Nora, who warned both benches immediately after Rodriguez was plunked by Ryan Dempster's 3-0 pitch leading off the second inning. It struck his left elbow pad and ricocheted off his back.

"He should have been thrown out of the game," Girardi said. "Everyone knows it was intentional."

Players streamed from the dugouts and benches, but no skirmishes developed in the latest testy game between the longtime rivals.

"It's obviously an odd situation there," Rodriguez said. "The game has a way of policing itself."

The dustup seemed to spark the Yankees, who were trailing 2-0 at the time. Mariano Rivera earned his first save since blowing three chances in a row for the first time in his career.

Rodriguez, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, was suspended recently for 211 games by Major League Baseball in the Biogenesis drug case. He appealed the penalty and can play until there is a final decision.

Boston's lead in the AL East was cut to one game over Tampa Bay. The game took 4 hours, 12 minutes.

One Yankee drew loud cheers from the Fenway Park crowd. Rivera received a standing ovation as he ran in from the bullpen for the ninth. In his first appearance since last Sunday, he got his 36th save in 41 opportunities.

With two runners on, Rivera retired Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a fly ball for the final out.

CC Sabathia (11-10) got the win and the Yankees took two of three from the first-place Red Sox.

Booed every time he came to bat — and even when he was on deck in the first — Rodriguez drew more jeers after he led off the sixth with a homer off Dempster (6-9) to cut the lead to 6-4. Brett Gardner soon followed with a three-run triple off Drake Britton.

As Rodriguez's second homer of the year landed in the center field bleachers, he clapped his hands and let out a shout at first base. Then he clapped again and pointed both hands skyward as he crossed home plate.

He continued to the dugout where he was congratulated by teammates. The homer was the 649th of Rodriguez's career, 11 behind Willie Mays for fourth place on the career list.

The rally continued when the Yankees loaded the bases with one out on singles by Eduardo Nunez and Lyle Overbay and a walk to Chris Stewart before Gardner tripled.

Rodriguez was one of four Yankees hit by pitches, but his was the only one that appeared to be intentional.

Boston manager John Farrell said in an interview with ESPN during the game that he didn't feel Dempster hit Rodriguez intentionally.

"He was trying to establish his fastball," Farrell said. "Obviously, the pitch got away from him."

Dempster's first pitch went behind Rodriguez's knees as fans chanted "You're a cheater!" The next two pitches were inside before the fourth pitch struck Rodriguez. He walked slowly to first base, accompanied by a trainer and staring at Dempster but not making a move toward the mound.

In 12 games since his season debut after recovering from hip and quadriceps problems, Rodriguez is batting .319 with two homers and six RBIs.

Boston had taken a 2-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jonny Gomes and an RBI single by Saltalamacchia. New York tied it in the second when Rodriguez was hit, took third on a double by Curtis Granderson and scored on a single by Nunez. Overbay followed with a sacrifice fly.

Rodriguez's run-scoring groundout gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the third before the Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout by David Ortiz.

The Red Sox took a 5-3 lead in the fourth on Stephen Drew's sacrifice fly and Will Middlebrooks' 10th homer. A bases-loaded walk to Daniel Nava boosted the lead to 6-3 in the fifth.

After the four-run sixth, the Yankees added RBI singles by Mark Reynolds in the seventh and Stewart in the ninth.

NOTES: New York's Alfonso Soriano went 0 for 6 after batting .682 with five homers and 18 RBIs in his previous five games. ... Yankees SS Eduardo Nunez left the game in the sixth with a tight right hamstring. ... Boston 1B Mike Napoli missed his second straight game with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter (strained right calf) increased his movement in fielding drills on Sunday, including some spin moves on grounders up the middle, during his third day of workouts at the team's complex in Tampa, Fla. Jeter took batting practice, but isn't running the bases. Girardi said Jeter won't be ready to return for Tuesday's doubleheader against Toronto. ... Dempster is 0-6 with a 7.57 ERA against the Yankees in his career.