AAAAAA-Rod!

In the sixth, with the Yankees up for their licks in the bottom of the inning after breaking up a Minnesota no-hitter one frame before (thanks, Robbie Cano), the game went like the front office planned it when they snatched Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez half a decade ago.

Yankee captain Derek Jeter did his usual job, getting on base with a double. Then Damon drew a walk. Mark Teixeira, this year's big-name addition, pounded a big hit down the right field line only to see it skew foul before flying out.

Alex Rodriguez.

It's a name hated by baseball for the pompous salary it gathers, a name hated by New York fans for the ineptitude it represents when in the batter's box with runners in scoring position in a playoff game. It's a name the front office expected to come up big on the way to championship No. 27, only to see it go 0-for-30 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs.

When Rodriguez drilled a couple hits, with 2 RBI included, on Wednesday night, everyone shrugged and said he was lucky. This is the man that freezes once October brings the cold playoff air.

But this year's A-Rod has been different, as I've said so many times before. And just days after showing his October spirit with a seven-RBI, two-homer performance to close the season, and then his first playoff RBIs since 2004, he came through again tonight.

With two outs and a 1-0 count, all eyes were on A-Rod as he lopped a pitch through short to send Jeter scurrying home, tying the game at 1.

The seventh inning's starting. I don't think we have to worry about the the No. 4 spot coming up with the game on the line anymore.

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