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Published November 20, 2014
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was inserted back into the starting lineup for Saturday's opener of the American League Championship Series, one day after the three-time league MVP was benched in an elimination game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Rodriguez will bat sixth in the Yankees' order for their matchup with the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the ALCS. The superstar slugger was held out of Friday's 3-1 victory over the Orioles in Game 5 of the ALDS after going 2- for-16 with a pair of singles and nine strikeouts over the first four games of the series.
Eric Chavez replaced Rodriguez on Friday, but went 0-for-3 and struck out twice.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi also pinch hit for the slumping Rodriguez in the two games that preceded Friday's do-or-die matchup.
Rodriguez was removed in favor of Raul Ibanez with New York trailing by a run in the ninth inning of Game 3, with Ibanez delivering a game-tying homer and later belting a walk-off solo shot in the 12th in the Yanks' dramatic 3-2 triumph.
In Game 4 on Thursday, Chavez came in as a pinch-hitter for Rodriguez in the 13th inning and lined out for the final out of a 2-1 Baltimore win. Rodriguez had a walk and a hit in his first two plate appearances Thursday, then struck out in the sixth with a runner aboard and fanned again in the eighth with the go-ahead run on third and one out. He also grounded out to short to open the 11th.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/a-rod-back-in-lineup-for-alcs-game-1