"In the blink of an eye the Yankees are going to have to be at the top of their game. That means Alex Rodriguez better find his batting eye.

Rodriguez looked out of sync at the plate again last night as the Yankees kept the Rays wild-card dreams alive, losing 5-3 at the Trop. The Yankees blew a 3-2 lead in the seventh when the lost reliever, Rafael Soriano, coughed up a three-run home run to Matt Joyce.

This also was the night Russell Martin grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play in the top of the sixth, shutting down a Yankees rally.

These games don't mean a thing to the Yankees, but the performances do. The Yankees need to be at the top of their game in just a few days and right now Rodriguez is missing in action at the plate.

Before the game, he told the Post that everything is fine. "It's just a matter of timing,'' said Rodriguez, who was not available after the game."