A-Rod turns it around

NEW YORK – With runners on first and second in the 12th inning early Sunday, the “A-Rod!” chants started swelling at Yankee Stadium. Only thing is, All-Star Mark Teixeira was still at-bat.

My, how things have changed for Alex Rodriguez.

In postseasons past, New York Yankees fans were merciless as Rodriguez floundered. Now they’re fawning over him – even while an MVP candidate is taking his swings.

So far this October belongs to Rodriguez, and the Yankees have ridden their troubled slugger within two wins from his first trip to the World Series – and New York’s first since 2003.

“I know you guys are probably looking for something profound,” Rodriguez said. “I mean, I’m just in a good place. I’m seeing the ball and I’m hitting it. I mean, that’s about it.”

Rodriguez’s latest feat: a tying homer in the 11th inning in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. The Yankees went on to win the wet, sloppy game, beating the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 in 13 innings to take a two-game lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is today in sunny Anaheim with the Yankees’ Andy Pettitte and the Angels’ Jered Weaver getting the start.

“I just kept yelling, ‘He did it again! He did it again!’ ” Teixeira said of his reaction from the dugout.

Teixeira is right. Rodriguez keeps doing it. The homer was his third of the playoffs, all coming in the seventh inning or later and all tying the game.

After going 8 for 59 (.136) in the playoffs dating to 2004 – 0 for 18 with runners in scoring position – A-Rod has quashed the questions about his mental makeup for another postseason in New York, emphatically.

He has at least one hit and an RBI in all five games this postseason, all New York victories, and has played superb defense. Rodriguez went 5 for 11 with two homers and six RBIs in a three-game sweep of the Twins in the division series.

If the Angels are going to rally from the 2-0 deficit not only are they going to have to figure out how to stop Rodriguez, who has 37 homers and 82 RBIs in 349 at-bats at Angel Stadium, but they are going to have to get back to playing the sound fundamental baseball that helped them win 97 games.

Los Angeles made five errors in two games in chilly New York, the most glaring being Maicer Izturis’ error in the 13th that gave the Yankees the win.

They are also batting .154, with Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero a combined 3 for 27 (.111) with one RBI.

“That’s very uncharacteristic of this team. This is not our baseball. We’re not playing up to our capabilities right now,” Torii Hunter said. “Offensively and defensively, man, we need to come through a little more.”

Manager Mike Scioscia is confident the Angels can turn it around.

“We’re going back home,” he said.

“The momentum in this series can swing in a heartbeat.”