MLB

Upon further review, A-Rod comes through

Philadelphia – Never forget that Alex Rodriguez loves being the cen taur of attention. The man knows what to do with the spotlight, and the camera.

Though A-Rod continues on his path of a mythical postseason, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard continues to be horsemeat.

If this keeps going along the same way, the World Series will be over in five games as Jimmy Rollins predicted. Only J-Roll will have had his money on the wrong horse. It’s the Yankees, not the Phillies, who are on pace for a five-game victory after their 8-5 win last night at Citizens Bank Park to go up 2-1 in the Series.

And now that we all know what kind of paintings A-Rod loves to place over his bed — the mythical centaur, half-man and half-horse — don’t lose sight of the fact that A-Rod has been a mythical performer this postseason.

His first World Series hit turned out to be a home run, a replay home run that smacked into a camera in right field.

“Well, it’s only fitting, right?” Rodriguez said.

After an 0-for-8 start to the Series, following his torrid time in the ALDS and ALCS, Rodriguez slugged his sixth home run of October off Cole Hamels in the fourth, changing the game and tying Bernie Williams for most home runs by a Yankee in a single postseason.

The Phillies were leading 3-0 before the two-run laser. Of course, the only people who didn’t see it were the six umpires, including Jeff Nelson in right field.

The umps checked the replay and once again saw that they were wrong. Rodriguez had his two-run homer and the Yankees were on their way to another comeback victory.

They’re feeling good.

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The Yankees would be lost without A-Rod. He told me on Friday during a long talk that he is enjoying this postseason so much because of the fun he is having, the faith his teammates have shown in him and the enjoyment of finally having the Yankee fans on his side.

Remember, even during the great times, A-Rod has been out there on an island alone. Now he feels that he is part of a much bigger experience, it’s not just about him, he feels part of a championship team; and that is why he came to New York.

“After spring training and all the stuff I went through, I felt like I was up against the wall,” he said last night. “I hit rock bottom and was either going to stay there or come out fighting. I basically sold out for the team.”

He is truly appreciative of the turnaround and he has shown the Yankees what a slugger means to a team. The Phillies are learning the hard lesson that without Howard doing his thing, their offense is stagnant. Howard struck out his first two times last night, extending his strikeout string to six. He did much better the next time up against Andy Pettitte — he popped to short.

The Yankees have discovered Howard can’t handle the curve and continue to bury him with that pitch. Damaso Marte threw a high fastball past him for another strikeout in the eighth, Howard’s ninth K of the Series.

The Phillies don’t have the kind of backup that A-Rod has, as Nick Swisher and pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui homered. Pettitte even knocked in a vital run when Hamels made the terrible decision to throw him a curve instead of just firing a fastball past someone who rarely bats.

Now the defending champion Phillies find themselves trailing in a postseason series for the first time since 2007. And Charlie Manuel has Joe Blanton starting tonight instead of Cliff Lee on short rest. Sorry, Charlie, bad decision.

Blanton’s ERA since Sept. 1 is 5.22. He’s surrendered the fourth-most home runs in the majors this season (30) and is pitching on the always efficient 12-days’-rest plan.

Looks like another home run opportunity for A-Rod, another chance to be the horse that carries this Yankees offense.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com