Mariano Rivera 500 saves, RBI, Yanks SWEEP Mets
Mariano Rivera outclassed the Mets last night; it could be argued he outclasses MLB all the time anyway. The Baseball Gods rewarded baseball’s most humble closer last night at New Shea Stadium to earn his 500th save and his 1st RBI, when he worked a 3-2 count against his cross-town cocky mirror image, K-Rod.
ESPN was praying to broadcast Mo’s 500th save; not only did they get their wish, but the drama of the event was better than they could have imagined.
After the Yankees capitalized on fielding mistakes by the Mets in the 1st inning to make the score 3-0, it looked like another blowout. But Wang was just OK again and showed some improvement, but made it 3-2 in the 6th, but the Yanks’ bats were silent against Livan Hernandez.
The Mets had the momentum the whole night, and it looked their luck was about to change after Phil Coke and Phil Hughes came out of the game after shutting them down, and Brian Bruney was running a Walk-a-Thon.
Rivera came out and battled a Mets scrub for a long time before getting him out, so he threw a lot of pitches. In the top of the 9th, Luis Castillo and the “super professional” Alex Cora let a popout drop between them, and that’s when I knew the Old Gods of Shea had returned.
K-Rod sucked, and for some reason he and Mets manager Jerry Manuel started to pitch to Derek Jeter with 2 outs even though Mariano was on-deck. Jeter broke character and cracked up- kinda like when Clark Kent would wink at us. Did they fall for Joe Girardi’s decoy of Fransisco Cervelli stretching on the on-deck circle? After getting behind the count with Derek, they intellionally walked him. Rivera came up, showed he has a great eye, took a nice swing, ran the count full, and took the walk and RBI. 4-2 Yanks.
He came out for the 9th, and picked up his 500th save. It was a true Subway Series game because the atmosphere was ecstatic, jubilant, and it felt like a World Series game. It was a celebration of Mariano.
This is why baseball is a living history and part-mythology. Games like this make you appreciate the game, makes you feel the drama, makes you think that the game is much more than stats, projections, and peaks and valleys.
Rivera’s post game interview was telling: he just focuses on his work and doesn’t worry or compare himself to historic closers or his peers, and gives them more credit than himself.
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For years and years i have watched Mo quietly do what he does best!
and last night the # 500 will be locked in my heart and in millions and millions of Rivera fans 4 ever!!
The New York newspapers had good coverage and pictures about "MO"
today!
My mother bought the post and it had nothing about the game, so tomorrow i will buy the paper and it will be steaming with reports, etc….
All of the Yanks who are or were suffering from the flu at least had
the day off to rest, and i hope that they all did rest and relax!