LOOK OUT BELOW! Yankees manager Joe Girardi did not rule out moving Alex Rodriguez down in the lineup. (
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The words changed from Monday to Tuesday, but they provided the same indication Joe Girardi is at least thinking about a lineup change for tonight’s pivotal ALDS Game 3 against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
And because Alex Rodriguez is 1-for-9 with five strikeouts in the first two games, the focus, as usual, is on him.
Will Girardi lift him out of the third spot against right-hander Miguel Gonzalez? If he does, how far does the Yankees manager drop Rodriguez? Fourth? Fifth? Sixth? Seventh?
How about Joe Torre’s spot for Rodriguez in 2006, eighth? Or ninth? Could Girardi look at Eric Chavez’ 3-for-6 off Gonzalez and bench Rodriguez?
Of course, Girardi only can make one move. And seventh, eighth, ninth and the bench aren’t in play.
Asked, after Monday night’s 3-2 loss in Game 2 that evened the best-of-five series at 1-1, about Rodriguez remaining in the third spot after striking out in the seventh that stalled a rally and fanning for the final out of the game with Robinson Cano on deck, Girardi left the door open.
“Right now I don’t have any plans of changing the lineup,” Girardi said. “Right now I don’t have any plans to make changes.”
Yesterday on a conference call, Girardi donned tap shoes when asked specifically about Rodriguez.
“I think that we’re going to do whatever it takes to win this three-game series. Nothing that we do will be something that is just a knee-jerk reaction,” Girardi said. “We talk about different things, and whether it’s a pitching change or pitching situations, we know the great thing about this is, I have a great group of guys that’s very unselfish, and they really want to win. And that’s what we’re going to do, what we think is best to win.”
As for making any lineup changes, Girardi hinted some could be coming but didn’t offer anything more.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” Girardi said. “Obviously there’s a lot of thought process that goes into the whole series and into every move that we possibly might make down the road, but I haven’t done anything yet.”
The key word there was “yet,” which followed “not right now.” Which often means change is in the air.
In Game 1 Rodriguez batted third against right-hander Jason Hammel, Cano fourth, Nick Swisher fifth and Mark Teixeira sixth.
Rodriguez remained third against lefty Wei-Yin Chen in Game 2 and was followed by Cano, Swisher and Teixeira.
Girardi talks a lot about separating right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters so the opposing manager can’t match up late in the game.
Rodriguez batting third gives him the best balance. But is it the best lineup? Rodriguez smoked a low liner in the first inning Monday night that second baseman Robert Andino turned into a double play. Had the ball gotten by Andino, it was a two-run double. Rodriguez also singled in the third. Then came the two whiffs that carry a lot more weight with those who blame Rodriguez for all the Yankees’ problems.
What little data Girardi has to go on against Gonzalez isn’t much. Nor is it good. Rodriguez doesn’t have an at-bat against him. Cano (0-for-6), Granderson (0-for-6), Swisher (0-for-6) and Teixeira (0-for-3) are a combined 0-for-21 against the right-hander.
Monday night Girardi could have stopped the talk about Rodriguez vacating the No. 3 spot and didn’t. Yesterday, a second chance surfaced and the manager chose to leave it open.
Late this afternoon Girardi must show his cards and stick with Rodriguez between Ichiro Suzuki and Cano or find another parking spot in the lineup that went 2-for-8 in the clutch Monday night and left 10 runners for Rodriguez.
No more “not right nows” or “yets.”
george.king@nypost.com