BALTIMORE — The postseason got off to a rousing start for the Yankees, except for Alex Rodriguez.
The third baseman had been dreadful in the final month of the regular season but said he was ready to break out in the playoffs.
Instead, he provided more of the same, striking out three times in the Yankees’ 7-2 win over the Orioles in Game 1 of the ALDS Sunday night at Camden Yards.
It didn’t matter who was pitching, Rodriguez looked lost again — unable to catch up to any pitch.
He struck out looking in the first against Baltimore starter Jason Hammel — though that was overshadowed by Ichiro Suzuki getting caught trying to steal third, a boneheaded play because there was no one out.
Rodriguez managed a walk in the fourth and scored on Mark Teixeira’s single, but that was the end of his production.
He grounded out to short in the sixth and then whiffed in his final two at-bats of the night, including striking out with runners on first and third with two out in the seventh on an 87-mph fastball from side-armer Darren O’Day.
Manager Joe Girardi might have been watching another game.
“I thought the at-bats were good,” he said.
Rodriguez talked to members of the media, but did not elaborate on his offensive struggles.
Before the playoffs, Rodriguez’s mantra became “pass the baton,” sounding like he would look for walks and try not to get in the way of Robinson Cano and the rest of the lineup.
Though Rodriguez has been feeble at the plate since returning from a fractured left hand on Sept. 3, Girardi continues to hit Rodriguez third in the lineup.
Luckily for Rodriguez, the Yankees took advantage of an overmatched Jim Johnson. The Orioles’ closer imploded in the top of the ninth.
The only batter Johnson retired was Rodriguez, who struck out.
Nevertheless, Teixeira still has faith in his teammate.
“I’ve seen him do some special things in the playoffs,” Teixeira said. “We picked him up today and tomorrow he might pick us up. It’s just one game.”
Though Rodriguez praised Cano as being a clutch hitter before the playoffs, he will need to spread the compliments even more after last night, because it was Russell Martin who finally gave the Yankees the lead for good with his homer to lead off the ninth off Johnson.
In fact, just about everyone in the lineup provided more punch than Rodriguez, whose postseason flameouts often have been memorable.
He still has time to change the storyline, but he hasn’t given much reason for anyone to believe he’s going to.
dan.martin@nypost.com