With the Tampa Bay Rays just one game behind the Red Sox, the boys from Boston can’t stand to lose any unnecessary ground.

The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry hit a fever pitch Sunday when embattled Yankees star Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate against Ryan Dempster. The Sox pitcher did his best to send a message to A-Rod, tossing one ball behind him, two inside and one that eventually nailed the slugger.

David Ortiz stood up for his friend Rodriguez, though, voicing disapproval of his teammate for drilling A-Rod, according to USA Today Sports.

“I didn’t like it. I don’t think it was the right thing to do,” Ortiz said. “But we don’t all think alike, and the guy who did it, Dempster, is a great guy. It’s not that I didn’t think it was right because Alex and I are friends, because once you cross the white lines, everyone’s on their own.

“But we’ve got Tampa right on our heels, and that pitch woke up a monster in the Yankees’ team at that moment. You saw how the game ended up. CC [Sabathia] was throwing 91 [mph] and started throwing 96. Alex later hit one way out there. You’re talking about a good team that you can’t wake up. But we learn from our mistakes.”

Dempster was suspended five games for the act.