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BALTIMORE — Six weeks of spring training led to a half-dozen months of big league games and all of the ups and downs a season delivers.
As always, in the Yankees’ big picture it amounted to nothing more than extended foreplay.
Today at Camden Yards the only season that matters to the Yankees — from ownership to the fans glued to TV and/or radio for all 162 games — begins when the Bombers face the plucky Orioles in Game 1 of the best-of-five ALDS.
The first sounds of balls hitting catcher’s mitts under the Florida palm trees is comforting. Watching Mariano Rivera’s season crumble in early May was disturbing. Derek Jeter leading the majors in hits (216) at 38 was eye-opening. The chest-to-chest AL East race with the Birds was fascinating and delivered the Yankees’ 18th AL East title.
Now, that’s over.
If name recognition meant anything, the Yankees would be declared the winner already.
Yet, the teams split 18 regular season games, and the Orioles aren’t intimidated. Their bullpen is sensational and manager Buck Showalter has done a masterful job getting the most out of rotation that doesn’t have a CC Sabathia and a lineup that hits home runs and strikes out.
Nevertheless, the Yankees are favorites today and heavy favorites to win the series.
“That’s what you play for as a kid, to try and win championship,’’ said Sabathia, who will be opposed today by journeyman right-hander Jason Hammel. “Being in the postseason with the Yankees means a lot.’’
Advancing would be nicer.
For that to happen, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher need to perform better than they did a year ago against the Tigers in the ALDS, which Detroit won in five games.
The trio combined to hit .164 (9-for-55) with one homer (Swisher) and five RBIs. A repeat of that would kill the Yankees, who received a boost from Ichiro Suzuki and in Robinson Cano had the hottest hitter in baseball when the season ended Wednesday.
Certainly, the Orioles don’t lack muscle. Mark Reynolds hit 23 homers and seven of them, with 14 RBIs, were against the Yankees in 15 games. Chris Davis and Adam Jones hit 33 and 32, respectively.
Of course, the Yankees led the majors with 245 homers.
“Baltimore was as good as any team in baseball this season,’’ Jeter said. “Let’s see what happens. We know what to expect and they know what to expect.’’
Though the Yankees have a formidable late-inning duo in David Robertson and Rafael Soriano, the Orioles counter with right-handed side-armer Darren O’Day and Jim Johnson, who saved 51 games.
“The games they were supposed to win they won,’’ Girardi said of the Baltimore, who was 74-0 when leading after seven frames.
After winning the World Series in 2009, his first season with the Yankees, Sabathia has been part of one winning postseason series (2010 ALDS against Minnesota). He lost in the 2010 ALCS to Texas and the ALDS to Detroit last year.
“It makes you want to get back to the World Series and win it again,’’ said Sabathia, who went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his final three regular season starts, but was 0-2 with a 6.38 ERA against the Orioles in three starts. “This is the first step. It has been a little disappointing the past few years.’’
Finally, after a grueling season full of injuries and pennant race drama, the Yankees enter the only part of the calendar that really matters.
george.king@nypost.com