Associated Press
Associated Press
BOSTON — 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.”
TIGERS 6, ROYALS 3
DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera hit his 40th home run and had an RBI single to help Max Scherzer become baseball’s first 18-game winner in Detroit’s victory over Kansas City.
The reigning Triple Crown winner became the third player since 1921 to have at least 40 homers and 120 RBIs while batting .350 or better through 116 games, joining Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx, according to STATS.
Scherzer (18-1) gave up two runs on five hits over eight innings. Scherzer and Roger Clemens are the only pitchers since 1919 to have 18 wins in their first 19 decisions, STATS said.
WHITE SOX 5, TWINS 2
MINNEAPOLIS — Alexei Ramirez homered and had three RBIs, Hector Santiago won for the first time since June 21, and the Chicago White Sox beat Minnesota.
Ramirez finished a triple shy of the cycle. He homered to lead off the fifth inning, giving Chicago a 4-2 lead and helping his team win its first road series in more than a month.
RAYS 2, BLUE JAYS 1, 10 innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fl. — Jose Lobaton hit a solo home run in the 10th inning, and Tampa Bay edged Toronto.
Lobaton sent a 2-1 pitch from Brad Lincoln (1-2) into the right-field seats. Lobaton had a game-ending triple in the ninth on Friday.
MARINERS 4, RANGERS 3
ARLINGTON, Texas — Kyle Seager hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Seattle over Texas.
The Mariners took two of three from AL West-leading Texas. They scored three runs in 7 1-3 innings against Rangers ace Yu Darvish in the series finale.
ASTROS 7, ANGELS 5
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Matt Dominguez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and Houston won back-to-back series for the first time in nearly two months with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Dominguez tied his career high with four hits in his native Southern California, and L.J. Hoes had his first career homer among three hits in the major league-worst Astros’ fourth win in six games.
ATHLETICS 7, INDIANS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Chris Young and Alberto Callaspo homered in the fifth inning of Oakland’s win over Cleveland.
ORIOLES 7, ROCKIES 2
BALTIMORE — Chris Davis went 4 for 5 with his major league-leading 45th home run, Adam Jones had a two-run shot among his three hits and Baltimore topped Colorado.
PHILLIES 3, DODGERS 2
PHILADELPHIA — Carlos Ruiz had four hits, and the Philadelphia Phillies benefited from two ninth-inning errors by shortstop Hanley Ramirez to end Los Angeles’ 10-game winning streak.
Sandberg took over when Charlie Manuel, the winningest skipper in club history, was fired on Friday. The Phillies, shut out by the Dodgers in each of Sandberg’s first two games, snapped a four-game skid and won for the fifth time in 26 games.
Andre Ethier homered for the Dodgers, who have lost just nine of their last 51.
Darin Ruf hit a home run to begin Philadelphia’s comeback from a two-run deficit. Jonathan Papelbon (3-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth to earn the win.
Brandon League (6-4), who relieved Paco Rodriguez in the ninth, took the loss.
Los Angeles was beaten for only the second time in 21 road games.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH — Adam Eaton’s bloop double in the 16th inning drove in two runs, and Arizona outlasted Pittsburgh.
Eaton’s career-high fourth hit came during his seventh at-bat, with A.J. Pollock and Didi Gregorius on and two outs. Eaton fought off a 1-0 pitch from Kris Johnson and dunked the ball into shallow left-center.