Alex Rodriguez plays big role in Yankees’ 9-6 win over Red Sox The boos did everything they could to drown out the organ. The notes still managed to sneak through, though, as if to serenade baseball’s superstar under siege. At this point, the hissing and the catcalls were part of the soundtrack. Whenever he steps into the batter’s box at Fenway Park, Alex Rodriguez awaits it. Not even the venomous refrain of “You’re a cheater” surprised him. Because of his place at the center of baseball’s latest performance-enhancing drug scandal, Rodriguez has become a bigger target than he already was. STORY 1 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Purpose pitch was off target Maybe he wanted to be the hero, the martyr, the trendsetter by sending a message to all of baseball that steroid users are not welcome in this game. But the union Ryan Dempster supports believes that Alex Rodriguez should be playing baseball right now because he’s exercising his right to appeal a 211-game suspension. Dempster may have won over Boston fans and maybe Dempster got all kinds of high-fives and accolades in the Red Sox clubhouse. Maybe it will be portrayed as Good beating Evil and maybe Dempster’s iPhone will be lit up with texts saying, “Attaboy, Ryan.” But the intelligence of plunking Rodriguez Sunday night wasn’t sound. STORY 2 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Red Sox contend with tough travel plans The schedule has been unforgiving to the Red Sox lately. Their three-game battle with the Yankees at Fenway was sandwiched between a 10-game road trip and a six-gamer that will start Monday in San Francisco. Sunday night’s prime-time matchup put the Sox in a tight spot in terms of travel. They could either take the 6½-hour flight late Sunday night or fly out on game day. Before choosing the latter option, manager John Farrell surveyed the clubhouse. “We recognize what the schedule is and that’s why we polled a number of them if they were open-minded to changing up the routine and making sure we get a decent night’s rest and we’ll change things up,” Farrell said. “Guys were all for it.” STORY 3 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Alex Rodriguez situation a ‘distraction’ for Yankees GM Brian Cashman The last time Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talked to Alex Rodriguez was Friday, at the team hotel. They said hello, and goodbye. “That’s about it,” Cashman said. “I’m not comfortable talking to him anymore. I don’t want to be distorted.” For nearly 30 minutes before Sunday night’s game, Cashman sat in the visitors’ dugout at Fenway Park surrounded by two dozen reporters. He swiveled his gray canvas sneakers around in the dirt, spoke with a calm voice, and tried to explained his deteriorating relationship the disgruntled third baseman. “I’m not comfortable talking to Alex because I feel we are in a litigious environment,” Cashman said. STORY 4 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Daniel Nava helping out at first base for Red Sox Every time Daniel Nava starts at first base, he is presented with a fresh learning opportunity, each ending with him feeling more comfortable and confident than the last. Nava didn’t play the position as a professional until spring training this year. On Sunday night against the Yankees, Nava made his seventh start at first base, and 15th appearance overall. “I’m feeling more comfortable,” Nava said. “If I’ve been playing first every day of the season until now, I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m great.’ But since it’s been sporadic, the more I play, the more I would feel comfortable. I’m still far more comfortable than the very first spring training game, but I still know I have a ways to go in order to be where I’d like to be.” STORY 5 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, in 10 innings ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jose Lobaton came up big again for the Tampa Bay Rays. Lobaton hit a walkoff solo home run in the 10th inning and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, on Sunday. Lobaton sent a 2-and-1 pitch from Brad Lincoln (1-2) with one out into the right-field seats. Lobaton had a game-ending triple in the ninth Friday. “It’s different,” Lobaton said. “Walkoff triple, that was amazing. Walkoff homer, run the bases like that, is unbelievable. It’s something that you want to do all the time. Hopefully it’s not the last one.” Lobaton’s parents were at the ballpark for both of his key hits. “Seriously, that’s pretty cool for him,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Very, very cool.” STORY 6 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Phillies snap Dodgers’ 10-game win streak Ryne Sandberg’s first win as a major league manager came with some help from the opposition. Carlos Ruiz had four hits and the Phillies benefited from two ninth-inning errors by shortstop Hanley Ramirez to beat the Dodgers, 3-2, Sunday in Philadelphia, giving Sandberg his first victory and ending Los Angeles’s 10-game winning streak. Shut out by the Dodgers in each of Sandberg’s first two games since taking over for the fired Charlie Manuel, the Phillies snapped a four-game skid and won for only the fifth time in 26 games. It was just the second loss in the last 21 road games for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is still 42-9 in its last 51 games. STORY 7 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Breaking down the Patriots’ top position battles Three-plus weeks of training camp are complete, and the “fun stuff” is out of the way for the Patriots — a long trip to Philadelphia, a week-long date with the Buccaneers and for many of the young players, their first experience playing under the bright NFL lights. Now, it’s crunch time. The roster is at 87 players, and there are only a few more opportunities to win a spot, including Thursday’s exhibition game at Detroit. The Patriots have to cut down to 75 players next Aug. 27, and then to 53 players by Aug. 31. By our rough estimate, there are about 15-17 spots to be won amongst 45-50 players. Here is a look at some of the top position battles: STORY 8 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Sam Mikulak eases into US men’s all-around title in Hartford HARTFORD — Sam Mikulak is a psychology major at Michigan mostly because he enjoys trying to figure people out. Even on the day he accepted the mantle as the next great American gymnast, the breezy kid from southern California discovered he remains a work in progress. Staked to such a massive lead he needed only to remain upright on pommel horse to capture the U.S. men’s all-around title Sunday, Mikulak told himself it would be OK if he eased off the gas. “I thought that was going to make it easy,” Mikulak said. “I think it just made me lazy.” And gave him plenty to think about as he prepares to take on the best in the world. STORY 9 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Matt Fitzpatrick wins US Amateur title The 18-year-old became the first Englishman to win the world’s most important amateur crown since 1911. STORY 10 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Matt Fitzpatrick, Francis Ouimet share connection A baby-faced amateur with a pint-sized caddie wins a prestigious tournament at The Country Club in front of a large, loud crowd watching golf history unfold. Heard it before? That 100-year-old tale is a great story, and so is this one. Turns out, there’s a connection between Francis Ouimet and Matt Fitzpatrick. And this kid, while not American, has an Irish name and Irish in his blood, so he quickly endeared himself to many of the 5,200 fans walking down the fairways on Sunday as he took on Oliver Goss in the 36-hole championship match of the 113th US Amateur. Sunday’s 4-and-3 victory over Goss never would have happened for Fitzpatrick if not for Ouimet. Sound like a hyperbolic stretch? Let Russell Fitzpatrick explain. STORY 11 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Usain Bolt finishes worlds with another gold, wins 4×100 MOSCOW — Usain Bolt stumbled on the track, even almost fell down. Don’t worry, everybody, it wasn’t in the race. No, this near-tumble happened in the middle of his celebratory dance, when a barefooted Bolt hammed it up after winning a third gold medal on the last day of the world championships. He even tossed his spikes into the crowd. And why not? He certainly didn’t need them anymore. His work was finished. In the very last race of the championships Sunday, Bolt grabbed the gold-colored baton for his anchor leg of the 4×100-meter relay and churned toward the finish line, huffing and puffing to generate more speed. STORY 12 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Hedwall leads European rout in Solheim Cup PARKER, Colo. — The Europeans wanted to make history by winning the Solheim Cup on American soil for the first time. They did even better than that. Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to win all five of her matches, the last one with a splendid shot to 4 feet for birdie on the 18th for a 1-up win over Michelle Wie that assured Europe of keeping the Cup. More than an hour later, Cristie Kerr and Karine Icher played to the 18th green until conceding each other birdies. That half-point made it 18-10 in favor of Europe, the biggest blowout since the Solheim Cup began in 1990. STORY 13 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Joey Logano holds off Kevin Harvick for crucial Michigan win BROOKLYN, Mich. — Joey Logano gave Ford a Sprint Cup sweep in Michigan — and enabled team owner Roger Penske to celebrate a victory in his home state. Now Logano can start to envision a happy finish to what has been an eventful season for the 23-year-old driver. “We’re close, we’re close,” Logano said. “What a great place to win — what a great time to win, being in Ford’s backyard.” Logano boosted his chances of reaching the Chase for the Sprint Cup, winning for the first time this season in a fuel-mileage race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. STORY 14 OF 15 READ FULL STORY Final five named to US Walker Cup team The US Golf Association completed its Walker Cup roster on Sunday, with five players added to the 10-man team that will take on Great Britain & Ireland Sept. 7-8 at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. For the first time in the event’s 91-year history, the USGA mandated that two mid-amateurs (at least 25 years old) would make the team. Those spots went to 35-year-old Nathan Smith of Pittsburgh and 45-year-old Todd White of Spartanburg, S.C. The other three players named to the team on Sunday were Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon, Wis., and Bobby Wyatt of Mobile, Ala. STORY 15 OF 15 READ FULL STORY MORE TOOLS Learn moreSUBSCRIBEBOSTON GLOBE INSIDERSEPAPER EDITION MY ACCOUNT LOG IN MY SAVED LIST MANAGE HOME DELIVERY CONTACT HELP FAQS GLOBE NEWSROOM ADVERTISE SOCIAL FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ MORE ARCHIVES PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF SERVICE TERMS OF PURCHASE WORK HERE © 2013 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY Get full access to BostonGlobe.com, just 99

Alex Rodriguez plays big role in Yankees’ 9-6 win over Red Sox

The boos did everything they could to drown out the organ. The notes still managed to sneak through, though, as if to serenade baseball’s superstar under siege.

At this point, the hissing and the catcalls were part of the soundtrack.

Whenever he steps into the batter’s box at Fenway Park, Alex Rodriguez awaits it.

Not even the venomous refrain of “You’re a cheater” surprised him.

Because of his place at the center of baseball’s latest performance-enhancing drug scandal, Rodriguez has become a bigger target than he already was.

STORY 1 OF 15

READ FULL STORY

Purpose pitch was off target

Maybe he wanted to be the hero, the martyr, the trendsetter by sending a message to all of baseball that steroid users are not welcome in this game. But the union Ryan Dempster supports believes that Alex Rodriguez should be playing baseball right now because he’s exercising his right to appeal a 211-game suspension.

Dempster may have won over Boston fans and maybe Dempster got all kinds of high-fives and accolades in the Red Sox clubhouse. Maybe it will be portrayed as Good beating Evil and maybe Dempster’s iPhone will be lit up with texts saying, “Attaboy, Ryan.”

But the intelligence of plunking Rodriguez Sunday night wasn’t sound.

STORY 2 OF 15