The Alex Rodriguez saga has taken over Fenway Park for most of the weekend series between the Yankees and Red Sox, but mostly for things off the field. Sunday night, the focus was back on the field in the second inning when Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster hit Rodriguez with a pitch that appeared to be intentional.
Dempster's first pitch to Rodriguez to lead off the second inning was behind him, but low around the ankles. Then after two more inside pitches to run the count to 3-0, Dempster hit Rodriguez in the elbow and side with a pitch.
Home plate umpire Brian O'Nora quickly, and emphatically, warned both benches but though it was within his discretion to do so, did not eject Dempster. That Dempster remained in the game infuriated Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who argued with O'Nora for several minutes before getting tossed from the game himself:
Rodriguez has spent most of the weekend fighting against the Yankees, with his attorney accusing the team of hiding MRI results from the third baseman during the 2012 playoffs, and the report of Rodriguez preparing to file a medical grievance through the players union against the Yankees.
But as the Sunday night baseball telecast airs on ESPN, on CBS was a 60 Minutes report that the Rodriguez camp was the source of the leak of Biogenesis information that led to 13 other suspensions, aside from Rodriguez. If true, this would obviously not sit well with other players, though Rodriguez denied the report on Friday.
Rodriguez later scored in the second inning after getting hit by pitch. He was hitting .279/.367/.395 with one home run in 11 games entering Sunday since returning to the Yankees.
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