Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch last night in Boston, an event that led to the eruption of the Fenway Park crowd, the ejection of Yankees manager Joe Girardi and general chaos.
Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster, clearly trying to send a message, drew cheers from the fans when his first pitch to the reviled star went behind his knees in the second inning.
With his fourth pitch in the at-bat, he drilled A-Rod in the shoulder. It was awesome.
The crowd went berzerk, as did Girardi, who ran out of the dugout, screaming at the ump and Dempster. Girardi was ejected while both bullpens emptied.
Dempster, incredibly, was not ejected, no doubt fueling Girardi’s rage; Rodriguez stared at the pitcher as he started toward first base but did not engage him.
A-Rod, who is playing as he appeals his 211-game suspension for steroid use, got the last laugh, later hitting his second asterisk-laden home run of the season.
The Yankees won 9-6, climbing within 7.5 games of first-place Boston.