A-Rod crushes 2 more HRs, but misses hero call in 9th

	A-Rod and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt now share the record for fastest player to club 12 HRs to start a season (15 games). AP

By Gene Menez, SI.com

BOSTON -- Alex Rodriguez ran out of miracles.

On a hitting tear unlike few others to start a season in major league history, Rodriguez hit two more home runs in his first three at-bats Friday night against the rival Red Sox, but he could not pull off more ninth-inning magic to save the Yankees. One day after capping New York's six-run, ninth-inning rally against the Indians with a three-run homer, Rodriguez finally went down meekly -- a soft liner to second base with one on and one out in the ninth -- as the Yankees dropped this early-season AL East showdown, 7-6, against the rival Red Sox.

Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two homers, four RBIs and three runs. The Yankees third baseman now has 12 home runs in 15 games, tying Mike Schmidt for the fastest to a dozen homers in major league history, as well as 30 RBI. Of his 23 hits this season, 18 have gone for extra bases.

"He's remarkable," Yankees manager Joe Torre said after the game. "I've run out of words and superlatives to describe what he's into right now."

But Rodriguez, who either drove in or scored five of the Yankees' six runs, and his heroics weren't enough to overcome a Yankees bullpen that allowed five runs in the bottom of the eighth.

His first homer came in the top of the fourth. After missing on an inside fastball to start the at-bat, Rodriguez crushed Curt Schilling's next offering -- a knee-high fastball that bit off a bit too much of the outside edge. The result was a blast that landed in the Monster Seats and a 2-0 Yankees lead.

The next inning, after the Red Sox had tied the game at 2, Rodriguez approached the plate with two on and two out. With the count at 1-2, Rodriguez hammered another fastball, this time to the opposite field. Both the ball and Boston centerfielder Coco Crisp, who was tracking the ball, went over the short wall in right center.

"I thought I was going to catch it," Crisp said. "I obviously didn't."

Counting the fly ball that Rodriguez hit to deep center field in the second inning, which Crisp caught just a couple steps shy of the wall, Rodriguez hit more than 1,100 feet worth of deep flies in his first three at-bats.

In the eighth, Rodriguez pulled a hanging curveball from reliever J.C Romero down the third base line for a stand-up double. He scored on Jason Giambi's single to right, making the game 6-2.

After the game, Rodriguez could barely manage a smile. Pushed up against a wall in the bowels of Fenway Park by more than 30 reporters and cameramen, he answered question after question about his game and his start; but he couldn't avoid the obvious: It wasn't enough Friday night.

After ending his session with the reporters, Rodriguez walked away and found his wife, Cynthia, and the pair strode side-by-side across the Fenway Park field and headed for the exit.