In the top of the fourth, the rogue rodent ran into Red Sox rookie Jhostynxon Garcia in the batter’s box, then veered onto the mound as Yankees starter Max Fried stoically toed the rubber. Fried stared but did not flinch as the squirrel came within feet of him.

With Max Fried taking the ball tonight against the Red Sox in a start the Yankees badly need, the question will be what has happened to the one-time Cy Young candidate. Many suspect he is still being bothered by the blister that popped up in July, despite the fact that Fried and Yankees manager Aaron Boone say he is past it.