BOSTON - Alex Rodriguez responded to being hit by a pitch the best way he knows how — with a home run. And his teammates followed his lead. "It was awesome. I was pretty excited," Rodriguez said of the homer that started the Yankees go-ahead rally. "It was the ultimate payback." Rodriguez was hit by a fastball his first time up and then hit the 649th homer of his career to start a four-run sixth inning that carried New York to a 9-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected after storming out of the dugout to holler at plate umpire Brian ONora, who warned both benches immediately after Rodriguez was plunked by Ryan Dempsters 3-0 pitch leading off the second inning. It struck his left elbow pad and ricocheted off his back. Girardi felt the incident sparked the Yankees. "Im sure it did," he said. "They rallied and responded." Rodriguez, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, was suspended recently for 211 games by Major League Baseball in the Biogenesis drug case. He appealed the penalty and can play until there is a final decision. "Whether you like me or hate me, whats wrong is wrong," he said of being hit. "That was unprofessional and silly." Under the collective bargaining agreement, Rodriguez has the right to appeal. "Whether I agree with everything thats going on, you do not throw at people and you dont take the law into your own hands," Girardi said. "You cant just start taking potshots because you disagree with the way the system is set up." Girardi and Rodriguez said Dempster threw at Rodriguez intentionally. And Girardi said Dempster should have been ejected and should be suspended. Rodriguez declined to comment on any punishment for the pitcher. "Im the wrong guy to be asking about suspensions," he said with a smile. Players streamed from the dugouts and benches, but no skirmishes developed in the latest testy game between the longtime rivals. The dustup seemed to spark the Yankees, who were trailing 2-0 at the time. Mariano Rivera earned his first save since blowing three chances in a row for the first time in his career. "Im sure any hitter that hits a home run the next time up after youve been hit, it feels good," said Dempster, who denied throwing at Rodriguez. "Its just reality. It was unfortunate because it started the inning off with a run." Bostons lead in the AL East was cut to one game over Tampa Bay. The game took 4 hours, 12 minutes. One Yankee drew loud cheers from the Fenway Park crowd. Rivera received a standing ovation as he ran in from the bullpen for the ninth. In his first appearance since last Sunday, he got his 36th save in 41 opportunities. With two runners on, Rivera retired Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a fly ball for the final out. CC Sabathia (11-10) got the win and the Yankees took two of three from the first-place Red Sox. Booed every time he came to bat — and even when he was on deck in the first — Rodriguez drew more jeers after he led off the sixth with a homer off Dempster (6-9) to cut the lead to 6-4. Brett Gardner soon followed with a three-run triple off Drake Britton. As Rodriguezs second homer of the year landed in the centre field bleachers, he clapped his hands and let out a shout at first base. Then he clapped again and pointed both hands skyward as he crossed home plate. He continued to the dugout where he was congratulated by teammates. The rally continued when the Yankees loaded the bases with one out on singles by Eduardo Nunez and Lyle Overbay and a walk to Chris Stewart before Gardner tripled. Rodriguez was one of four Yankees hit by pitches, but his was the only one that appeared to be intentional. On Rodriguezs first at bat, Dempster "pitched much like Ryan has done (in) many starts," said Boston manager John Farrell, who denied that Dempster was throwing at Rodriguez. "He established his fastball. There are hitters in the lineup and hes got to establish it in. We saw later on when he doesnt establish his fastball in. Rodriguez gets his arms extended and he drives the ball out to centre field." Dempsters first pitch went behind Rodriguezs knees as fans chanted "Youre a cheater!" The next two pitches were inside before the fourth pitch struck Rodriguez. He walked slowly to first base, accompanied by a trainer and staring at Dempster but not making a move toward the mound. In 12 games since his season debut after recovering from hip and quadriceps problems, Rodriguez is batting .319 with two homers and six RBIs. Boston had taken a 2-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jonny Gomes and an RBI single by Saltalamacchia. New York tied it in the second when Rodriguez was hit, took third on a double by Curtis Granderson and scored on a single by Nunez. Overbay followed with a sacrifice fly. Rodriguezs run-scoring groundout gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the third before the Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout by David Ortiz. The Red Sox took a 5-3 lead in the fourth on Stephen Drews sacrifice fly and Will Middlebrooks 10th homer. A bases-loaded walk to Daniel Nava boosted the lead to 6-3 in the fifth. After the four-run sixth, the Yankees added RBI singles by Mark Reynolds in the seventh and Stewart in the ninth. "Today kind of brought us together," Rodriguez said. "Joes reaction was amazing. Every single one of my teammates came up to me and said hit a (homer)." NOTES: New Yorks Alfonso Soriano went 0 for 6 after batting .682 with five homers and 18 RBIs in his previous five games. ... Yankees SS Nunez left the game in the sixth with a tight right hamstring. ... Boston 1B Mike Napoli missed his second straight game with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter (strained right calf) increased his movement in fielding drills on Sunday, including some spin moves on grounders up the middle, during his third day of workouts at the teams complex in Tampa, Fla. Jeter took batting practice, but isnt running the bases. Girardi said Jeter wont be ready to return for Tuesdays doubleheader against Toronto. ... Dempster is 0-6 with a 7.57 ERA against the Yankees in his career. Wholesale Padres Jerseys .Y. -- Sore nose and all, Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to help Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 5-3 on Friday night, snapping the Penguins mini-slump and slowing the Sabres late-season surge. Cheap Padres Jerseys .com) - Sergio Agueros 63rd-minute goal was enough to lift Manchester City to a 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. http://www.cheappadresjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-tony-gwynn-jersey . PETERSBURG, Florida – Heading into Thursday nights action, Dioner Navarro had caught 14 innings combined from starters Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle. Cheap Ozzie Smith Jersey . According to Dave Stubbs of The Montreal Gazette, preliminary talks have begun between Markov - an unrestricted free agent this summer - and general manager Marc Bergevin. Cheap San Diego Padres Jerseys . Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered.SEATTLE -- If you need to know what motivates Hector Noesi, check the front of his cap. After going 7 1-3 strong innings in the Chicago White Soxs 10-inning 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night, Noesi put on a cap that read in front: Revenge NOE. The Mariners were the object of his attention. "When you dont believe in somebody, you need to show them," said Noesi, who was designated for assignment and eventually traded by Seattle to Texas this spring. The White Sox claimed him April 25 when the Rangers waived him. The White Sox ended their four-game losing streak on Conor Gillaspies RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning. With Jordan Danks on second base, Gordon Beckham reached when Seattle shortstop Chris Taylor booted his grounder. Danks advanced to third and scored when Gillaspie, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, hit a hard single to right off Fernando Rodney (1-5). "Its one of those tough ones where you dont really know if you should play through it," Taylor said, "or try to break down and get rid of it quick. I decided to play through and it ended up getting an in-between hop. I should have made the play." Noesi worked into the eighth to give the Sox the shot at a win. He allowed an unearned run and five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. "This is as good as hes pitched for us," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He was throwing strikes, getting ahead early. He pitched great. He got us into the eighth." Noesi said when he arrived in Chicago, pitching coach Don Cooper "told me I can do it. Thats why Im getting better." It was Cooper who helped put his hat together. "I wear every time I face my former teams," he said. In four appearaances against Seattle, he had gone 18 1-3 innings, not allowed a run and opponents were hitting .dddddddddddd212 against him. In two seasons with Seattle, he was 2-14 with a 6.13 ERA in 36 appearances. "It was a good game. He pitched good. You have to give him credit," Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano said. "Really nothing else you can do in that situation. Hes one of those guys that pitches good against us and is good against any team." The loss ended the Mariners four-game winning streak. Eric Surkamp (1-0) got the last two outs of the ninth for the win and Jake Petricka worked the 10th to pick up his eighth save. James Paxton started for Seattle, his second outing since spending nearly four months on the disabled list with a strained left lat. He went 6 1-3 innings, allowing one run and six hits, striking out four. SWEET LOU ENSHIRNED Before the game, former manager Lou Piniella became the eighth member of the Mariners Hall of Fame. He managed from 1993 to 2002 and guided the club to its only four post-season appearances. Four players in the clubs HOF -- Alvin Davis, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Dan Wilson -- were on hand. Piniella gave an emotional 21-minute speech, breaking down to tears twice, once when talking about late broadcaster Dave Niehaus and at the end when thanking the fans for their years of support. "I thank you, salute you," he closed, "and will never forget you." TRAINERS ROOM Mariners: Utility player Willie Bloomquist had micro-fracture right knee surgery Friday and will not return this season. He will be on crutches for the next four to six weeks. White Sox: Outfielder Adam Eaton has a strained right oblique that necessitated a trip to the disabled list. 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