Rodriguez’s bargaining pays off

NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez limped his way into Yankee Stadium, then got angry when the team sent him to a hospital for tests on his sore right ankle.

Not only did he play Wednesday, he had a night befitting legends.

Rodriguez talked his way into the lineup and became the first Yankees player in 30 years to homer two times in one inning, connecting twice in an eight-run seventh to lead New York over Seattle 10-2. The Yankees opened a three-game lead in the A.L. wild-card race over Seattle, which lost for the 11th time in 12 games.

His ankle banged up following a collision with Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre on Tuesday, Rodriguez got to the ballpark at 2:30 p.m. and pronounced himself “ready to roll.” Getting into a car and heading for a scan wasn’t what he had in mind.

About an hour before game time, Yankees manager Joe Torre said Rodriguez likely would be limited to pinch-hitting duty. Rodriguez returned from the hospital thinking there was a 75 percent chance he wouldn’t play. Had it been early in the year, he would have sat out.

After some deliberation, and some convincing on Rodriguez’s part, the two-time MVP walked and popped out in his first two plate appearances against Jarrod Washburn (9-13).

Then, with the Yankees trailing 2-1, Rodriguez hit a 3-2 fastball into Monument Park in left-center leading off the seventh. Pinch-hitter Jorge Posada’s bases-loaded walk off Sean Green put the Yankees ahead, and New York padded the margin on Johnny Damon’s run-scoring grounder, Melky Cabrera’s RBI single and Derek Jeter’s two-run double.

Rodriguez then drove a 2-1 pitch from Brandon Morrow into the left-field seats for a two-run homer. He rounded the bases, received congratulations in the dugout and emerged for his second curtain call of the inning.

His first homer tied Mel Ott on the career list, and his second matched Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 17th place at 512. Rodriguez, who leads the majors with 48 homers and 134 RBIs, became the first Yankees player to homer twice in an inning since Cliff Johnson on June 30, 1977, at Toronto. Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez and San Francisco’s Bengie Molina also accomplished the feat this season.

Washburn dropped to 1-7 with 5.32 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break, allowing three runs – two earned – and three hits in six-plus innings.