MLB

Boo-birds watch A-Rod get his first hit in rehab stint

A-Rod straddles the infield tarp as he signs autographs after leaving the game during the sixth inning.

A-Rod straddles the infield tarp as he signs autographs after leaving the game during the sixth inning. (REUTERS)

VIERA, Fla. — Forget simulated at-bats.

Alex Rodriguez got simulated major league baseball conditions Saturday night at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla.

He was booed soundly by the Single-A crowd of 3,148, hit by a pitch, scored from first base on an extra-base hit, tested in the field and brushed back with an up-and-in fastball.

And the embattled and drama-attached slugger with the bloated contract made it through five innings with Single-A Tampa Saturday night pain-free, notching his first hit in his third minor league game in the process.

Rodriguez, who has yet to play with the Yankees because of his surgically repaired left hip, went 1-for-2 in Tampa’s 6-1 win and handled all three of his chances flawlessly in the field against the Brevard County Manatees, the Brewers minor league affiliate. He expects to play again today with Tampa against Brevard County at 5:05 p.m.

“I think one of the things I want to talk about is just being able to react [to] back-to-back games,” he said. “I was happy I did get some work at third base. I was happy to be able to score from first, and then [today] is another test. That’s all it is.”

Rodriguez jokingly said his first hit, a line single to center, was a “magical” moment that felt “incredible,” playing down its significance after improving to 1-for-6 at the plate so far.

“I did see the ball better, those are the things I want to focus on in all seriousness,” he said. “I felt I had a better balance when I did take the off-speed pitches, and seeing the ball better was a good sign.”

Rodriguez said he was more pleased to get the three chances at third. He reached up for a line drive in the second inning that drew a gasp from the anti-A-Rod crowd. In the fifth, he fielded a pair of grounders, including one in which he had to move quickly to his right.

“I’m sure my defense is going to be several weeks behind my offense,” Rodriguez said. “I’m pretty confident that with some at-bats, I’ll be able to feel pretty good and be pretty productive. I think, naturally, with any type of hip surgery, lateral movement is always going to be a challenge. And defense, there’s a lot more you have to do.”

For the first time, he wasn’t received warmly. The home crowd booed the power-hitting third baseman in each at-bat and cheered Brevard County pitcher Cody Scarpetta for plunking him in the side with a curveball. In Rodriguez’s first at-bat, Scarpetta buzzed him with his first pitch, a high and tight fastball.

As Rodriguez jogged lightly back across the diamond to the dugout after grounding out to shortstop, one fan shouted, “There’s a time limit, A-Rod.”

Rodriguez is indeed facing a time limit — with 15 more days until his rehab assignment is up. It still is too early for him to make an assessment of his progress, however.

“You got to wait probably 10 games and then I’ll be able to get in the flow of things,” Rodriguez said. “I’m literally just trying to two-step back into this thing and be smart about it, too.”

zbraziller@nypost.com