Sox beat Yankees 7-3; ARod being ARod

August 26. NEW YORK - When Alex Rodriguez strode to the plate in the seventh inning, the bases full and a rookie on the mound, the four-run Yankee deficit must have been echoing in his ears. With one good stroke, Rodriguez could lift his team, lift its playoff hopes, lift the 55,058 (always) ready to boo their third baseman.

Tim Wakefield won in his return from the disabled list and the Boston Red Sox moved a step closer to squashing New York's playoff hopes, beating Andy Pettitte and the Yankees 7-3 Tuesday night. Rodriguez flopped in crucial spots all night. He grounded into two double plays -- one with the bases loaded -- and whiffed for the final out

Playing his first game in the rivalry, Bay had an RBI single in the third and a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Even without Manny Ramirez batting behind him, Ortiz tormented the Yankees as usual with two doubles and two walks. "I like playing here," he said. "I was taking my walks and doing my thing." Coco Crisp got three hits and dashed home from second on Jeff Bailey's two-out infield single off the third-base bag in the fifth. First baseman Jason Giambi held onto Rodriguez's throw as Crisp scored. Bailey was credited with two RBIs, chasing Pettitte and capping a three-run rally -- all with two outs.

Two sinkers from Justin Masterson, and Rodriguez had grounded to Alex Cora for the double play that ended the inning. A-Rod had it in his grasp, had the chance, and couldn't do it. All chances of a sweep over the Red Sox vanished in one ground ball, and the Yankees fell, 7-3, last night in the Bronx. "It was obviously maybe the biggest pitch in the game," manager Terry Francona said. "We got ourselves in a position where one pitch can turn the game around, and Masterson comes in and makes one pitch and gets out of the inning. That was huge."
Coming in after Manny Delcarmen loaded the bases, Masterson knew his best pitch would be needed to get Rodriguez out. So there it was - sinker, sinker, ground out. That is, after all, exactly what that pitch is designed to do. "That's what the game's about," Masterson said. "In my respects, he's a good righthanded hitter, and when I'm called upon, I'm supposed to get the job done. I won that time.