Red Sox fans wearing masks of a blond woman jeer Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez while he bats in the first inning.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON — Red Sox fans love anything controversial with the New York Yankees, especially if it concerns Alex Rodriguez.

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for the Yankees third baseman. First, he elbowed Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia when attempting to turn a double play and reportedly apologized for the incident in New York last week.

Rodriguez then had a couple of bad days in Toronto.

He was involved in a “bush-league” play on Wednesday against the Blue Jays when he distracted Toronto third baseman Howie Clark and shortstop John McDonald by yelling “mine” on a routine infield popup as he was about to round third base. The ball dropped in and infuriated the Blue Jays.

When the Yankees arrived at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon, the team’s general manager Brian Cashman held court with the New York and Boston media, and one of questions he addressed was the A-Rod play.

Cashman said he thought the controversy was blown out of proportion due to the fact it was Rodriguez and not someone else.

“Biggest contract, biggest team,” said Cashman. “That’s combustible right there.”

Rodriguez did not met with the media before last night’s game, so Torre was left to defend his player.

“The reaction that came with it, I don’t think he expected that reaction,” Torre said. “I don’t think he did anything serious, but it turned out that way.”

Of course the headline and the picture in The New York Post on Wednesday didn’t help Rodriguez’s cause as he and the Yankees were preparing to travel to Boston.

The picture was of Rodriguez and a woman, whom the tabloid said was not his wife, and the headline read “Stray-Rod,” which had everyone around Boston talking.

The chants of “A-Rod. A-Rod. A-Rod” were bellowing from the seats at Fenway Park last night every time he came to the plate.

The boos were raining down and when Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield’s first offering in the second inning was high and tight on Rodriguez.

Red Sox fans were wearing Halloween masks of a blond woman and when the Sox’ J.D. Drew popped out to A-Rod at third base in the second inning, the crowd went crazy, trying to distract him just as he did in Toronto.

He made the catch and threw the ball into the stands behind the Yankees’ dugout as is custom after the third out of an inning. But the fan who caught the ball threw it back onto the field with some heavy coaxing from the fans along the third-base side.

Rodriguez drove the ball off the Monster during his second plate appearance in the third inning for a single, but he attempted to stretch it into a double. Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez retrieved the ball and made the throw to second baseman Dustin Pedroia for the out.

Again, the fans in attendance went crazy. As Rodriguez stood in the dugout, he was having a little fun with Ramirez as the two seemed to get a chuckle out of the play.

jmcdonal@projo.com