For once, Red Sox Nation rooted for Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees: They were facing off against the Rangers in a three-game series, and Boston — looking to extend its lead in the wild-card standings — just needed a little help from its AL East counterparts to help but Texas away. It didn't happen.
New York lost two of three to the Rangers. And A-Rod heard all about it from the fans on Thursday.
The Yankees, down 3-2 in the fourth inning, had a chance to tie things up when A-Rod stepped into the batter's box with Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira on base. The threat effectively ended when he struck out on a 2-2 pitch from C.J. Wilson.
Not exactly the kind of heroics you expect from the game's most expensive cleanup hitter. The crowd voiced its displeasure by unleashing the boo-birds.
A-Rod wasn't surprised.
"We let one get away from us," he told the New York Daily News. "We had good at-bats early and we had his pitch count up and couldn't deliver the blow."
New York went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position on Thursday.
A-Rod has always had an off-and-on relationship with Yankees fans, but lately, it's been on: In the month of August (discounting his 1-for-4 performance on Thursday), he is batting .312 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 21 games.
The Yankees look to get back on track this weekend against Chicago.