BOSTON — Alex Rodriguez simultaneously made history and ripped out the Fenway Faithful’s hearts.
Rodriguez left his fingerprints all over the New York Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night by launching a pinch-hit, go-ahead home run off Junichi Tazawa in the eighth inning.
A-Rod’s homer was the 660th of his career, tying him with the great Willie Mays for fourth place on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list.
Let’s see how everything unfolded.
GAME IN A WORD
Nauseating (if you’re a Red Sox fan)
There probably isn’t a single player whom Red Sox fans hate more than A-Rod, as evidenced by the relentless boos he received upon pinch-hitting for Garrett Jones in the eighth inning. The controversial slugger used the hate to his advantage and immediately stuck it to the crowd with a lined shot into the Monster seats.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
A-Rod turned on a 3-0 fastball from Tazawa for No. 660.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Dustin Pedroia raised his average to .292 with a 1-for-3 effort.
Pedroia, who also walked twice, has reached base via a hit or a walk in each of his last seven games. He’s hitting .500 (9-for-18) over his last five games.
— Pablo Sandoval singled to the left field wall against CC Sabathia in the second inning. It was notable because it was just Sandoval’s second hit against a left-hander this season.
Sandoval also singled in the eighth inning off Dellin Betances, ending the right-hander’s career-best hitless streak after 26 consecutive batters.
— Allen Craig, who entered the game hitting .118 (4-for-34), lifted a solo homer into the Monster seats in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie. The ball probably would have been caught in any other ballpark.
It was Craig’s first homer since Aug. 26, 2014, and his second in a Red Sox uniform.
— Ryan Hanigan, who left the game with a broken finger, ripped an interesting ground-rule double in the fourth inning.
A fan reached over and touched a ball that bounced high along the left field line. Third base coach Brian Butterfield literally was in fair territory waving in Xander Bogaerts, but the shortstop was forced to retreat to third base because of the fan interference.
Mookie Betts grounded out to end the threat, so the fan interference might have cost Boston a run. However, it’s unlikely Bogaerts would have been waved in if the fan didn’t disrupt the play and force left fielder Brett Gardner to travel a long way to scoop the baseball.
— Bogaerts and Brock Holt (pinch-hitting for Craig) both struck out swinging with two men on base and the Red Sox trailing by one run in the bottom of the eighth.
— Sandy Leon, Betts and Pedroia went down in order against former Red Sox pitcher (and current Yankees closer) Andrew Miller in the ninth.
ON THE BUMP
— Justin Masterson didn’t factor into the decision, as Tommy Layne allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh inning.
Masterson walked a tightrope at times, but he induced a couple of big ground balls. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning and a second-and-third situation in the fourth.
Masterson was charged with two earned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out two and threw 87 pitches (50 strikes).
It wasn’t a bad outing when you consider the trouble Masterson had in the first inning and the fact he faced a Yankees lineup stacked with all left-handed hitters.
— Tazawa has had some hiccups after a lights-out start. His ERA is up to 2.31.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Precisely.
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UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Yankees will return to action Saturday afternoon for their second of three games. Wade Miley is scheduled to pitch for Boston, and hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi will go for New York.
Thumbnail photo via Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports Images
