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ALEX RODRIGUEZ |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
A-Rod gets revenge on the
Red Sox and Ryan Dempster
August 18, 2013 ...
The Yankees rallied to beat the Red Sox, 9-6, in an emotional game between baseball's biggest rivals at Fenway Park. As it always seems to happen when he plays at Fenway, A-Rod's sparked another controversial incident to start the game.
In 2004 it started with A-Rod getting plunked by Bronson Arroyo. It ended with the famous battle between him and Jason Varitek,
This time, the Yankees third baseman, who is playing under appeal of a 211-game suspension, was plunked on the fourth pitch of his first at-bat against Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster, who
had thrown the three previous pitches inside.
Joe Girardi could not have come faster out of his dugout to begin arguing with home-plate umpire Brian O'Nora. O'Nora warned both teams before Girardi could reach him. Then the Yankees manager let the umpire have it for not ejecting Dempster. Girardi, who also
yelled at Dempster, was quickly ejected. Each team's benches and bullpens cleared.
Red Sox manager John Farrell said he understands where Girardi is coming from, but the team had planned on pitching A-Rod inside from the get-go. For the entirety of the game, tension was never thin. With the possibility of retaliation looming in the
form of a hit batsman, the Yankees instead found redemption at the plate.
Boston took a 6-3 lead into the sixth inning after the Red Sox got out in front against Yankees lefty C.C. Sabathia, who is posting career-worst numbers across the board this season.
Dempster had appeared equally as lost on the mound, having allowed at least one baserunner in four of his first five innings. It wasn't too different from the majority of Dempster's recent outings, though he has pitched well enough for the Red Sox to win 14
of his 25 starts.
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JOE GIRARDI |
But A-Rod, who entered the game 2-for-2 lifetime off Dempster, was leading off the top of the sixth. Dempster tried to stay down in the zone, but Rodriguez took the pitch deep over the center-field wall for his second homer of the season. Rodriguez,
who later described the feeling as "the ultimate payback," circled the basepaths before stomping both his feet at home plate and pointing up to the sky. He high-fived bench coach and acting manager Tony Pena hard enough to hear the hands clap from the press box.
Most importantly, A-Rod ignited a Yankees comeback. Eduardo Nunez, Lyle Overbay and
Chris Stewart each reached base following the homer and Dempster was removed for left-hander Drake Britton, a
22-year-old rookie with power pitches and confidence to boot. Britton's first pitch was a challenge fastball over the plate to Brett Gardner. Britton's second pitch, a hanging slider, was
crushed to right-center for a three-run triple that gave the Yankees a 7-6 lead. New York tacked on another run in the seventh inning, then capped its output with one in the ninth.
The Yankees entered play Sunday 8 1/2 games back of the Red Sox. They pulled one game closer with a come-from-behind win on an emotional stage. |
