Joe Girardi didn’t succumb to heavy fan and intense media pressure to delete Alex Rodriguez from the third spot in the lineup for last night’s pivotal ALDS Game 3 against the Orioles.
However, in the boldest move of his Yankees’ managerial career, Girardi used Raul Ibanez to pinch-hit for the frigid Rodriguez in the ninth inning with the Yankees down a run and two outs away from defeat.
Not only did it pay off once, Girardi struck gold twice.
Facing the gas-throwing Jim Johnson, Ibanez sent a fastball into the right-field seats to tie the score with his first career post-season pinch-hit homer.
Three innings later Ibanez crushed lefty Brian Matusz’ first pitch over the right-field wall to give the Yankees a pulsating, 3-2, win in front of 50,497 delirious fans at Yankee Stadium.
It was the Orioles’ first walk-off loss of the year. No team since 1900 had avoided such a fate in one season.
With a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series the Yankees attempt to close it out Thursday night, but could be without Derek Jeter, their best hitter in the three games.
Jeter was bothered by a lower left leg bruise in the final weeks of the season and fouled a ball off the left foot in the third inning. He hobbled for the rest of the game in which he went 2-4 but when he fanned to end the eighth Jeter was replaced at short by Jayson Nix.
Jeter is 6-for-13 (.462) in the three games.
Rodriguez didn’t exhibit any sign of being hurt but while standing in the dugout before the top of the 12th, Rodriguez received a tap on the shoulder from trainer Steve Donohue who directed Rodriguez to the clubhouse.
Phil Hughes is slated to start tonight’s Game 3 for the Yankees. Before last night’s action Buck Showalter was undecided about whether to start lefty Joe Saunders or righty Chris Tillman.
On a night Mariano Rivera tossed the ceremonial first pitch, the Yankees honored Rivera’s brilliant pitching.
Hiroki Kuroda did more than enough to win and didn’t.
Kuroda, who gave up homers to Manny Machado and Ryan Flaherty, allowed two runs and five hits in 8 1/3 innings and spit the loss when Ibanez homered.
Relievers Boone Logan, Rafael Soriano and David Robertson followed Kuroda’s lead and the brilliant hurling was rewarded by Ibanez’ game-winning homer in the 12th.
Outside of a five-run ninth inning in Game 1, the Yankees haven’t hit against pedestrian names. Last night it was Miguel Gonzalez, a 27-year-old rookie in his 16th major league start who handcuffed the Dead Bat Society which has produced five runs in the last two games.
And since the Yankees faced the 27-year-old right-hander twice this year the unfamiliar excuse didn’t exist.
Rodriguez went 0-for-3 and the boos increased with each out.
Gonzalez, who beat the Yankees twice in the regular season, allowed a run and five hits in seven innings.