Rivera Blows Fifth Save as Red Sox Topple the Yankees
It's not every day that you see both CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera play less than stellar. However, considering the heated rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, and the hostile grounds of Fenway Park, anything could theoretically be possible.
Mariano Rivera, the Yankees star closer, gave up 1 hit, a double to Marco Scutaro, and a sacrifice fly to Dustin Pedroia, as the Bronx bombers lost 3-2 to the Red Sox in the 10th inning. Rivera has blown five saves this year, and 14 in his less than perfect career against the Boston Red Sox. Despite his latest misstep, Rivera still has 29 saves this season, with an impressive 1.87 ERA.
Are the chinks beginning to show in the armor of this crafty right-hander? Well, certainly, this future hall of famer is no spring chicken, as baseball players go. Rivera will turn 42 years old this year, and most certainly is in the twilight of his career. That having been said, his performance this year has still been mostly solid, and he would be the ideal closing pitcher for many struggling teams in MLB. While he might be ever so slightly more vulnerable than years past, it is still a sure bet that Mariano will have a few more saves coming throughout the duration of this season. With his game Sunday, Rivera made a bit of baseball history with his 1023rd pitching appearance, putting him solely in 10th place in baseball's all-time games pitched list.
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