BOSTON—The Boston Red Sox were pretty fired up for a team supposedly playing out the final weeks of the season.

Manager Bobby Valentine and Cody Ross were both ejected in the eighth inning -- along with third-base coach Jerry Royster -- after heated arguments with home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez in Boston's 5-4 loss to the longtime rival New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

Ross was called out on strikes to end the inning with a runner second. He turned around, raised his bat above his head with both hands and started screaming at Marquez. He was quickly tossed and had to be restrained by Valentine and Royster.

"Cody was really upset," Valentine said. "I was just doing everything I could to get Cody away from him."

Valentine was tossed after he went back to the dugout.

"I didn't argue when I was on the field because I pulled both of my hamstrings trying to keep Cody away from the umpires," he said.

In a rotten season, the Red Sox may be embracing their role as spoilers.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his 24th homer for Boston to get the Sox within a run in the ninth. But in a year filled with unfilled expectations, the Red Sox came up short again.

This was after Dustin Pedroia had left in the seventh inning for the expected birth of his second child.

"I just got the word and told him, `It's time.' I told him to leave. I didn't ask him," Valentine said.

Valentine said it's understandable how things have changed from when he played, with players leaving for family issues.

"Yes it's a change, and I think family's the No. 1 important thing in everyone's life," he said.

Curtis Granderson hit two home runs, Robinson Cano also homered as the New York Yankees remained tied for first place in the AL East.

The Yankees finished the game without shortstop Derek Jeter, who left in the eighth after pulling up lame running out a double-play grounder to end the inning.

A day after Jacoby Ellsbury's game-ending single dropped New York into a tie with Baltimore atop the division, the Yankees got all their runs on homers to remain there. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night, preserving the tie and dropping the Rays three games back in the division.

David Phelps (4-4) gave up one run on five hits and a walk in 5 2-3 innings, striking out five. Rafael Soriano got four outs for his 37th save, but not before allowing the homer to Saltalamacchia to lead off the ninth, followed by a fly ball that left fielder Chris Dickerson caught at the base of the Green Monster.