Thursday, September 4, 2008

Baseball's first use of instant replay backed an on-field call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the Yankees' game against the Rays last night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Third base umpire Brian Runge signaled a home run after Rodriguez's towering, two-run shot off Troy Percival caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field.

Rays C Dioner Navarro protested the call, bringing Rays Manager Joe Maddon out of the dugout.

The umpires convened before leaving the field to check the replay on a monitor not far from the field. It took 2 minutes 15 seconds to uphold the homer that gave the Yankees an 8-3 lead during their 8-4 win.

Rodriguez was denied a homer on May 21 at Yankee Stadium on a ball that cleared the fence but was not ruled a home run.

Baseball instituted replay for home run calls last Thursday.

· RED SOX: Boston sold out 96-year-old Fenway Park for the 455th consecutive regular season game yesterday afternoon, tying the Indians' major league record.

"I have not seen anything but sellouts since I've been here," Boston Manager Terry Francona said before the game against Baltimore.

"Think about it: That's unbelievable. That's the norm. I hope we don't ever get in a situation where we take it for granted. I know our organization doesn't."

Boston's consecutive sellout streak started May 15, 2003.

Cleveland set the mark at Jacobs Field from June 12, 1995 to April 2, 2001, winning two AL pennants during that span.

· WHITE SOX:3B Joe Crede was out of the starting lineup for yesterday's game against the Indians because of a tight back, joining LF Carlos Quentin and CF Ken Griffey Jr. on the sideline.

Crede aggravated his back diving for a ground ball in the third inning Tuesday and left in the sixth. Quentin was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game because of a sore right forearm, and Griffey Jr. didn't start for the third time in a row because of tightness in his lower back.

· ROYALS- ATHLETICS, PPD: Heavy rains in Kansas City forced the Royals to postpone their game last night against the Athletics. The game will be made up with a doubleheader today starting at 5:10 p.m.

-- From News Services