In the ninth inning last night and down a run against the Orioles, Joe Girardi pinch-hit 40-year-old Raul Ibanez, whom the Yankees signed back in February for a pedestrian $1.1 million, for 37-year-old Alex Rodriguez, the slowing slugger who still has five years left on his contract with a base salary of $114 million.

No, really. The skipper benched A-Rod in the third game of the American League Division Series.

The result?

Well, here’s Ibanez’s game-tying home run:

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Here’s the 12th-inning game winner:

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Just. Wow.

And as the footage highlighted, the latter shot was no cheap, short-porch Yankee Stadium home run.

While thrilled with the walk-off victory, Jason Rosenberg of It’s About the Money Stupid did take a moment to reflect:

Boxscore here.