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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The A-Rod circus rolled into town, thrilling fans and leaving the Boston Red Sox with still another loss to the New York Yankees.

A sign-waving, sellout crowd watched the Yankees win 11-7 on Sunday, 4½ months after they beat the Red Sox in their last meeting in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.

The Rivalry: No one's exempt

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry reached a new high -- or low? -- after their spring training game Sunday. As the Yankees were arranging media interviews in the players' parking lot in Fort Myers, Fla., a part-time security employee of Boston's Florida staff reportedly shoved New York media relations director Rick Cerrone in front of several dozen reporters. The two traded words, the New York Daily News reported. Cerrone's ultimate retort for Dave McHugh, the security guy: "You're a typical Boston Red Sox employee." There was no further incident between the two. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, giving an interview nearby, deflected talk of his monster home run Sunday, telling reporters "Now that's your real story." -- ESPN.com news services

Commemorative pins for the game sold for $5.67, one spectator wore a shirt that said, "I don't brake for Yankee fans," and lines outside the ballpark were long hours before gametime.

Alex Rodriguez had little impact on the much hyped spring training game -- a groundout and an infield single against the team he nearly joined in December.

"They're fun. They're easy to get up for," Rodriguez said of games between the rivals. "We look forward to an unbelievable summer."

Nomar Garciaparra had no impact on the game at all, diminishing the drama by skipping the game with a minor injury to his right Achilles' tendon that should sideline him for one more day.

"There's no need for me to play," said Garciaparra, who would have been traded had Boston obtained Rodriguez. "It's spring training."

Asked if he might be ducking the confrontation with Rodriguez, traded by Texas last month, he laughed and said, "It's not even worth a comment."

His replacement, Pokey Reese, did fine with a homer and excellent defense.

"This is the best rivalry in sports," Reese said. "It doesn't get any bigger than this."

Shortstop Derek Jeter hit one of New York's four homers but made a throwing error on Boston's first batter, Gabe Kapler, that led to three unearned runs in a four-run first.

The Red Sox blew that comfortable lead just as they had done last Oct. 16 in Game 7 when they squandered a 5-2 lead in the eighth and lost 6-5 on Aaron Boone's solo homer in the 11th.

On Sunday, the Red Sox gave up a 4-0 lead as the Yankees hit four homers -- two by former Boston first baseman Tony Clark and one each by Jeter and Ruben Sierra. Clark and Miguel Cairo each had three hits for New York.

After Bronson Arroyo shut out the Yankees for three innings, they reached Jason Shiell for six runs in the fourth then tagged former Yankee Ed Yarnall for four more in the sixth, making it 10-5.

"The fans were into it, but in spring training you don't have everyone playing," Jeter said. "I really don't think it was that intense. It brought a lot of media here, but players-wise, it's still spring training."

The Red Sox had to reject about 20 requests for media credentials. At least the usual large Japanese contingent didn't make the trip from the Yankees camp in Tampa, two hours to the north, since Hideki Matsui didn't travel for the game.

Mariano Rivera, who pitched a perfect third inning, got the win just as he did in Game 7 when he finished with three shutout innings.

But Jose Contreras, another player signed by the Yankees who was courted by the Red Sox, allowed four runs on five hits in two innings.

"He struggled a lot with his control and a team that hits the fastball as well as the Red Sox, you just don't get away with it," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

But Boston president Larry Lucchino, who stoked the rivalry's fires last season by calling the Yankees "the Evil Empire," had some kind words about Contreras.

"He'll be fine," Lucchino said.

Arroyo made quick work of the Yankees in the first when Kenny Lofton popped to second, Jeter lined to shortstop and Rodriguez grounded to shortstop on the first pitch.

"He had to get that first swing off his back, I'm sure," Boston catcher Jason Varitek said. "He was a little more aggressive than he usually is."

Fans booed loudly when Rodriguez came to the plate in the first inning.

But for Arroyo and the rest of the players, it was just another chance to prepare for the regular season.

"The way it ended last year, obviously there was a little more excitement in the air," he said. "But to me it's just getting your work in."