BOSTON (AP) – Alex Rodriguez slammed down his helmet, pawed at the dirt and gave it a few good kicks.

A day after throwing a paper cup in frustration, it got worse for him. The All-Star who left Texas eager to play in big games, went hitless again at Fenway Park, grounding into a key double play Saturday in the New York Yankees’ 5-2 loss to Boston.

“When you’ve been stinking up the place like I have, it’s good to let out your emotions,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been consistently bad.”

At 0-for-8 with only one ball out of the infield in two days, it’s hardly the way the reigning AL MVP and home-run champ hoped to join the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

“Right now, he’s scuffling,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “I don’t think he has been the hitter he’s going to be, where he hits balls on the button. I think there’s still an adjustment period he’s going through. And, unfortunately, now it counts.

“It sort of piles on more responsibility, which obviously doesn’t make it easy,” he said. “But there’s nothing we can do for him.”

Gary Sheffield and Javier Vazquez, two of New York’s other big offseason acquisitions, haven’t done much better. Sheffield is 0-for-6 so far in the four-game series, which started with Vazquez giving up three home runs in a 6-2 defeat Friday night. All three prominent Yankees newcomers said the sellout crowd for the opener was as loud as they’ve ever heard.

Rodriguez, Sheffield and Vazquez all have had plenty of success in their careers. Then again, there’s always a persistent question when someone comes to play for George Steinbrenner: How will they do under the pressure of New York?

“The beginning of the season is different for a lot of players, not just Alex,” new Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Curt Schilling, meanwhile, is relishing the rivalry. Part of the reason he was thrilled to get traded from Arizona to Boston during the winter was an opportunity to pitch against the Yankees, when even games in April take on a bigger aura.

“There was a lot of energy in the park,” Schilling said. “I’m looking forward to being the rah-rah guy the next two days.”

Rodriguez was in no mood to celebrate.

In a rare display of emotion for the neatly composed star, Rodriguez threw a paper cup down on the dugout steps Friday night after he got a bad jump and was caught stealing in a crucial spot.

Saturday’s outburst was equally out of character.

The Yankees trailed 4-1 in the seventh when Rodriguez came up with runners on first and second and one out. Facing Mike Timlin, Rodriguez worked the count to 3-1.

But then Rodriguez overswung and hit a grounder to third baseman Bill Mueller, who tagged the bag and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

As he crossed first base, Rodriguez winged his helmet to the ground. As “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” played during the seventh-inning stretch, he wandered toward second and eventually made his way to third, taking a few kicks along the way.

“Sometimes, you need to let it out,” he said.

That’s fine with Torre.

“When things don’t go well, it’s OK to show it,” he said. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Mueller understand.

Bouncing around before reaching Boston, he’d heard all about the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Of course, that hardly prepared him for what it was really like.

“It was more than I expected,” the AL batting champion said before the series opener. “More everything.”

AP-ES-04-17-04 1751EDT