Yankees Battle, But Cannot Get the W

It was an at-bat froze in time -- two hours, 11 minutes, to be exact. With the Yankees' best hitter digging in against the Red Sox's hard-throwing reliever, representing the tying run, only one side could possibly be satisfied with the outcome. The Yankees, as they learned after waiting through several passing deluges and lightning strikes at Fenway Park, were not that team. Alex Rodriguez fouled one pitch back then waved at two more as Jonathan Papelbon escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth inning, a pivotal play in New York's 4-3 loss to Boston on Saturday. The Yankees were threatening against the Red Sox bullpen in the eighth inning, as Melky Cabrera worked a two-out walk against Hideki Okajima and Bobby Abreu singled to center. Boston went to the bullpen and called for Papelbon, but before the closer could throw a single pitch, the tarpaulin cleared the teams off the field and started the clock on the delay. After the deluge, play resumed in front of a smaller audience as Papelbon again entered from the bullpen to the Troggs' "Wild Thing," kicked the resin bag behind the mound, and glanced at Rodriguez again limbering as the two Yankees runners reclaimed their spots on the bases. The pause button unset, the Yankees finally learned the displeasing outcome of their rally. Earlier, Manny Ramirez sent one ball over the Green Monster to tag Mike Mussina, then punished Yankees manager Joe Girardi for a questionable in-game decision, driving in three runs for Boston. It was Girardi's decision to allow Mussina to pitch to Ramirez with first base open that preceded Boston regaining the lead in the sixth. Mussina struck out David Ortiz swinging to record the second out with runners at second and third, but after a mound visit, Mussina paid the price, as Ramirez ripped a two-run double up the gap in right-center field. Following a pitching change, Kevin Youkilis touched Brian Bruney for a RBI single to center, with one more run charged to Mussina's tally. Making his 53rd career start against Boston -- tops among active Major Leaguers -- Mussina allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, walking none and striking out one over 71 pitches (51 strikes). The Yankees closed the gap and chased Josh Beckett with a run in the seventh, as Jorge Posada singled and scored on a Robinson Cano double to left -- Cano's second hit of the afternoon, after he had just two hits in his first 17 at-bats of the road trip. Manny Delcarmen came on to strike out Jose Molina, escaping the inning and preserving Beckett's line of three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out five. Ramirez put Boston on the board in the fourth inning with a deep drive, sending a Mussina offering over the Green Monster in left field and off of an advertisement for a solo homer. It was Ramirez's 53rd career homer against the Yankees, tying him with Hank Greenberg for third-most all-time against New York, and his seventh career home run against Mussina. Limited to just hit through the first five innings, the Yankees manufactured two runs off Beckett in the sixth. Molina opened the inning with a single to center and, running on the pitch, moved to second as Alberto Gonzalez singled to left. Johnny Damon bunted the runners up and Cabrera came through with a sacrifice fly to left-center, caught by Jacoby Ellsbury on a sliding grab. Beckett then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Gonzalez to score with a headfirst slide.