The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is heating up again, and Alex Rodriguez is still in the middle of it.
Jason Varitek, still wearing his catcher's mask, got in the middle of it. After what Varitek said were some "choice words," the catcher pushed Rodriguez in the face, bringing both teams out of their dugouts.
"I just think it was intensity on my part," said Rodriguez, who was ejected from the game and watched from the clubhouse as Bill Mueller homered off Mariano Rivera in the ninth to give Boston an 11-10 win.
PHOTO: AP
"It just shows you how much both teams were hyped up," Rodriguez said. "Once you're in the moment, competing against the team you don't really like ... you can't really control your emotions."
Rodriguez is just getting to know one of baseball's most bitter rivalries after he was courted by both teams last winter. With Texas seeking to get out of his record US$252 million, 10-year contract, he was almost traded to Boston before the deal fell apart in December; the Yankees acquired him right before spring training.
With a move to New York and third base -- Yankees captain Derek Jeter was ensconced at shortstop -- it took Rodriguez a while to get his bearings. He was 1-for-17 his first series in Boston in April, but he went 3-for-5 with the go-ahead hit in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 8-7 victory Friday night.
PHOTO: AFP
On Saturday, Rodriguez reached on Bronson Arroyo's error in the second inning. He came up again in the third, and Arroyo plunked him.
Rodriguez moved slowly toward first base while glowering at Arroyo, and when Varitek stepped between them tempers flared.
"You're talking about one of the greatest players in the game. He lost his emotions. I lost mine," said Varitek, who claimed to be protecting his pitcher. "It's not a good thing for our sport, but it happens."
The Red Sox had been looking for a spark to awaken them from a slump that had them playing .500 ball for the last 76 games to fall 8 1/2 games behind New York in the AL East race. Boston is fighting with the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics for a wild-card berth.
"We've been waiting for some catalytic event," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "Maybe this whole day ... will serve as that catalyst."
The teams also brawled last fall at Fenway Park during Game 3 of the AL championship series, when Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez threw 72-year-old Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer to the ground. Zimmer, a former Boston manager who is now with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, apologized the next day.
In 1976, New York's Lou Piniella collided with Boston catcher Carlton Fisk at home plate in Yankee Stadium and came up swinging. In the ensuing fight, Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee was body-slammed and wound up with a broken collarbone.
"You never expect a brawl. But last year in the playoffs and now this year. It's an intense rivalry," Jeter said. "It's pretty intense they're trying to catch us. They've been trying to catch us the past few years."
Athletics 6, Rangers 2
In Oakland, California, Mark Kotsay homered twice to help Oakland beat Texas snap a three-game losing streak.
Kirk Saarloos (2-1) pitched five strong innings for the A's, who pulled within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Rangers in the AL West. Justin Duchscherer, Jim Mecir and Octavio Dotel combined to pitch four scoreless innings of relief.
Saarloos allowed two runs, three hits and five walks in his fourth start of the season. R.A. Dickey (5-7) allowed eight hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings.
Eric Chavez also homered for Oakland, a two-run shot in the seventh.
Mark Teixeira hit his 23rd home run of the year in the fourth for the Rangers.
White Sox 7, Tigers 6
In Chicago, Joe Crede hit a game-winning home run in the ninth to rally Chicago past Detroit.
Crede homered with one out in the ninth on a 3-2 pitch from Ugueth Urbina (3-5), the fourth game-ending homer of Crede's career.
Chicago won its fourth straight and moved past Minnesota into the AL Central lead. The White Sox trailed 4-0 in the fifth inning and 6-2 in the seventh before coming back to send the Tigers to their sixth loss in eight games.
Crede also hit a two-run double during the seventh-inning rally. Konerko and Jose Valentin added home runs for Chicago, which has won eight in a row against division rivals. Damaso Marte (4-4) pitched the ninth for the win.
Carlos Guillen homered twice for Detroit. Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames also homered.
On Barry Bonds' 40th birthday, the St. Louis Cardinals made somebody else beat them.
A day after Bonds' three-run, seventh-inning home run contributed to a San Francisco Giants' victory, he drew his major league-leading 79th intentional walk at a key spot in the Giants' 5-3, 10-inning victory.
"A game on his birthday is like any other game for him," manager Felipe Alou said. "The other team is so busy worrying about him, thinking about when will he bat next and what will the situation be. He's a factor no matter what day it is."
The Giants went ahead for good in the 10th on Edgardo Alfonzo's two-run homer off Ray King (3-1) and sent the Cardinals to their first extra-inning loss in seven games this season.
Felix Rodriguez (3-4) got the last out in the ninth, and Jason Christiansen got the last out in the 10th for his second save.
Pinch-hitter Pedro Feliz had put the Giants ahead 3-2 with a two-out infield hit in the ninth. An RBI double by pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson off Jim Brower in the bottom half retied it.
Phillies 4, Cubs 3
In Philadelphia, Paul Abbott got his first win with the Phillies and drove in the first two runs of his career to lead Philadelphia over Chicago.
Abbott (1-4), signed on June 9 after Tampa Bay released him, allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings for his first win since April 21. He lost his first four decisions with the Phillies and hadn't won since April 21.
With closer Billy Wagner unavailable because of a strained left shoulder, Tim Worrell got six outs for his 10th save in 14 chances.
Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee homered for the second straight game for Chicago, which had won three in a row.
Carlos Zambrano (9-6), pitching while he appeals a five-game suspension given after he hit Jim Edmonds of St. Louis twice with pitches Monday, lost his third straight start.
Braves 5, Mets 2
In New York, Julio Franco's game-tying double keyed Atlanta's four-run rally in the eighth inning against a struggling New York bullpen.
Leading 2-1, the Mets turned the game over to Mike Stanton at the start of the eighth. But Chipper Jones opened with a single and scored the tying run on Franco's double. That finished Stanton (0-4), who left to a chorus of boos.
Ricky Bottalico retired Andruw Jones and walked Johnny Estrada intentionally as the Mets looked for a double play. Instead, Bottalico also walked Eli Marrero, loading the bases. Braden Looper relieved and pinch-hitter Adam LaRoche delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Braves the lead.
It was the Mets eighth loss in 11 games and the fourth straight loss in which the bullpen has taken the defeat.
Expos 6, Marlins 2
In Montreal, Endy Chavez hit a tying two-run triple in the sixth, then scored the go-ahead run on Jamey Carroll's sacrifice fly to lead Montreal over Florida.
Rocky Biddle (2-4) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, his longest outing in three starts since joining the rotation. Montreal, which was outhit 10-6, extended a winning streak to three for the first time since June 19-22.
Dontrelle Willis (7-6), who hadn't allowed a run his two previous starts against the Expos this season, extended his scoreless streak against Montreal to 17 2-3 before giving up three runs -- two earned -- in the sixth inning.
Dodgers 12, Padres 2
In Los Angeles, Adrian Beltre hit his third career grand slam, Shawn Green added a three-run shot as Los Angeles routed San Diego for its 17th victory in 19 games.
Juan Encarnacion followed Green's seventh-inning homer with a solo shot and also robbed Ryan Klesko of a three-run homer in the first to help maintain the Dodgers' 3 1/2 game lead in the National League West over San Francisco.
Former Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen retired Saturday in the middle of a poor season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 35-year-old right-hander is 2-9 with a 6.95 ERA after returning to the Blue Jays last offseason.
"It's been a tough grind for me, mentally and physically," Hentgen said. "I'm not just helping the club like I want to. I always told myself I would retire from baseball if I felt like I couldn't do what I'm used to doing. I think it's the right time."
Hentgen won the 1996 AL Cy Young Award, going 20-10 with a 3.22 ERA. The three-time All-Star spent 14 seasons in the majors, going 131-112 with a 4.32 ERA. He also pitched for St. Louis and Baltimore.
"I'm definitely relieved because it's been on my mind for about a month," said Hentgen, who was dropped from the rotation in June.
Drafted by Toronto in 1986, Hentgen spent his first nine seasons in the majors with the Blue Jays before being traded after the 1999 season to St. Louis.
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