BOSTON - The stage was set for Alex Rodriguez to deliver one of the most memorable moments of his career.
Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
Rodriguez drove in a run with a bases-loaded dribbler, capping a three-run rally in the eighth inning that lifted the New York Yankees over the Red Sox 4-2 Thursday night, and sent the booed designated hitter out of Boston with one last victory.
''It was a lot of fun to be out there,'' Rodriguez said after his only start in the series. ''Kind of a funny hit at the end. Not how I pictured it when I woke up this morning, but definitely I'm glad that run came in and we won the game.''
Rodriguez was 0-for-4 on the night and loudly jeered throughout the game, but no spot was more dramatic than his final at-bat, a late-game chance to put an exclamation mark on his career with another big Fenway moment.
Instead, he poked a tapper in front of the plate that allowed Brett Gardner to score from third and put New York up 4-2.
''That's how I'm going to remember it - the RBI,'' Rodriguez said. ''I'm not going to tell anyone how it came.''
It was A-Rod's first RBI since July 18 when he hit the 696th home run of his career. He also lined out, popped out, and struck out during his penultimate game.
Rodriguez is set to play his final game for the Yankees on Friday night at home against Tampa Bay. The 41-year-old designated hitter will then be released and become an advisor and instructor for the club.
In 1994, Rodriguez was a teenager with Seattle when he got an infield single at Fenway Park for his first major league hit.
''They're passionate fans," he said about Red Sox fans. "They love their team."
