In a game vs. the Boston Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez continued his unprecedented 2007 homerun trend. In just 15 games he has now hit 12 home runs, including two shots against Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling on Friday night. His second shot sent Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp over the right-center field wall in Crisp’s effort to rob A-Rod of a home run.

But Rodriguez would not be denied.

Despite the exuberance A-Rod’s homers brought to the Yankees during the game, the worries with the Yankees pitching continue. Not with the starters this time, but instead with the bullpen. They winded up losing the game to the Boston Red Sox 7-6, because of a Mariano Rivera blown save. In the ninth inning Mo allowed two earned runs and three hits in 2/3 of an inning of work. The pitcher who worked before Rivera, Luis Vizcaino, gave up a two run triple to Coco Crisp in 1/3 of an inning’s work.

Though Chien Mien Wang is due back in the next series against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, as well as Hideki Matsui, this loss hurts for the Yankees. In such a fierce rivalry against the boys of Beantown, you do not want to be the team to lose the first game out of 18 games against each other this year. Mariano has to get back on the mound as soon as possible and prove his status in a year where he’s playing in hopes of getting a lucrative contract extension from Yankees GM Brian Cashman. On Saturday, Jeff Kartsens takes the hill for the Yanks against former Florida Marlin Josh Beckett.