It is far too early in the season to say that the Yankees’ 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Orioles Thursday night was big. But you know what? It was big.

Not that anyone was convinced that Baltimore’s 6-1 run out of the game had turned the Birds into contenders in the American League East, but the Yankees reminded the Orioles in the rain-abbreviated, two-game series at Yankee Stadium that first place can be difficult to occupy for any length of time.

Make no mistake; nobody really pays attention to the standings with any seriousness until June, but games like these are how a team gets to June. A third straight weak start by Phil Hughes put the Yankees in a 5-0 ditch in the fifth inning. There was no misinterpreting that the sound made by the crowd as Hughes walked off the mound were boos, not “Hooos.”

Bartolo Colon deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Yankees in the game with three scoreless innings, and Joba Chamberlain tacked on 1 2/3 more zeroes, plus a dandy, plate-blocking move on pinch runner Felix Pie for a huge out in the eighth that cut off an insurance run which would have meant Jorge Posada’s leadoff home run in the ninth could not tie the score. Instead, it did.

For all the solid relief work that included a tidy ninth by winning pitcher Mariano Rivera, at the center of this comeback was Alex Rodriguez in what was a perfect night at the plate with three hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly. At a time when hitters all over the Yankees are still trying to find their strides, A-Rod is already in mid-season form.

Rodriguez began the comeback with a leadoff double in the fifth. He scored on another double by Robinson Cano, but the Yanks wasted the opportunity for a big inning with three quick outs. They pushed across two more runs in the sixth, the last inning for Orioles starter Jake Arrieta, on a double by Mark Teixeria and a sac fly by – yep – A-Rod. With the way Colon was throwing, 5-3 in the sixth was not a bad place for the Yankees to be.

Curtis Granderson missed a game-tying, two-run home run by inches, but the double made it a one-run game that had to have the Orioles sweating. A terrific scoop at first base by Derrek Lee saved a run for Baltimore.

Rodriguez singled with two down in the eighth, but the Yankees came away empty. Posada’s bomb off Orioles closer Kevin Gregg evened matters and gave Rodriguez another chance to make a significant contribution, which he did with a well-struck double to left that pushed Texieria, who walked leading off the inning, to third base.

Not wanting to give lefthander Michael Gonzalez too slim a margin for error, Orioles manager Buck Showalter decided against the book move in that situation of loading the bases to create a force at each. One thing we know about Showalter is that he does not always bow to convention.

Gonzalez pitched to the lefty-swinging Cano and retired him on a liner to short. Despite switch-hitter Nick Swisher at bat from the right side, Showalter again refused to put up four fingers. But Swisher made good contact and flied out to right, deep enough for Teixeira to trot home against the strong arm of Nick Markakis.

Fans were treated to the first pie in the face of the season as A.J. Burnett targeted Swisher. The crowd ate it up. The Yankees had stolen a game. Yes, it is early, but, yes, this was big.