N OR At his ednesday news conference before Game 3 of this American League ivision Series, New ork ankees manager Joe Girardi fielded more questions about leaving Alex Rodriguez in the lineup than he did about any other topic. Girardi was steadfast in his

But by the time the bottom of the ninth inning rolled around, Rodriguez was hitless in three more at-bats, the sellout home crowd of 50,497 was booing him and the Yankees trailed the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1.

So Girardi did what just hours before might have felt unthinkable. He pinch-hit for Rodriguez with Raul Ibanez, who homered off right-hander Jim Johnson with one out in the ninth to force extra innings. Then in even more stunning fashion, Ibanez homered again in the 12th, off lefty Brian Matusz, to lift his team to a 3-2 victory and a series lead of two games to one.

The Orioles, unexpectedly in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, are one game from elimination thanks to Girardi’s hunch, the team’s second bullpen failure of the series and Ibanez becoming the first player in major league history to hit two home runs in a postseason game with both coming in the ninth inning or later.

“One pitch,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, whose team had won 16 consecutive extra-inning games. “That’s the world we live in. Got to tip your hat to the other guy every once in a while.”

Ibanez was initially confused about why he would be called on to bat for Rodriguez.

“For a minute I just thought something was going on,” he said. “I didn’t know what was happening, and then I just tried to put it behind me and get a good pitch to hit.”

“That part caught me off guard,” Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said of Rodriguez being replaced in the ninth inning of a one-run game. “Pinch-hitting for a guy who’s half a billionaire. Hey, I guess they pushed the right button today.”