Two days later in the deciding game 5 against the Orioles, Ibañez ended a scoreless tie with a single in the bottom of the 5th inning. The Yankees would rally around Ibañez, and win the game 3–1 and win the series. The next day, Ibañez once again hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning, this time in Game 1 of the 2012 American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, becoming the first player ever to hit 3 home runs in the 9th inning or later in a single postseason. Despite the Yankees losing the series to the Tigers, Ibañez became a beloved New York sports figure.