Mariano Rivera News

"In a nearly five-hour marathon, the YankeesNew York Yankees called on their bullpen to throw 62/3 scoreless innings and Mariano RiveraMariano Rivera in a - gulp - non-save situation. But in yesterday's 13-inning, 3-2 win over the Royals, he was just as dominant in a tie game as he always is with a lead. It was the bullpen's longest scoreless outing since last April 14, and came thanks to Rivera coming on in the 10th and throwing two perfect frames, followed by rookie David Robertson (3-0), who threw two scoreless to earn the win. "[This is] what we have done all year. The bullpen has been pitching good. It doesn't surprise me," said Rivera, who came into a non-save situation for a ..."

"Mariano Rivera was ready to pitch Monday night. Unfortunately for the closer, his manager wasn't ready to call on him. The Yankees' closer tested out his sore upper back during batting practice before Monday night's 9-5 loss to the Rangers, pronouncing himself ready to go. But Joe Girardi, who said earlier in the day that Rivera's availability would be a "game-time decision," chose to give the pitcher another day to rest his back. "He said he felt okay, but I have to hear that he feels great," Girardi said. "I expect he'll be available (tonight)." Rivera didn't question Girardi's decision, though he made it clear that he was ready to pitch if he was needed. "I was in the pen," Rivera ..."

"When Joe Girardi didn't hear the word great spill out of Mariano Rivera's mouth when asked how his back was, the manager put his closer on ice for the second straight game last night against the Rangers New York Rangers . "He said he felt OK," Girardi said of Rivera, who was held out due to spasms in the upper back. "But I got to hear great. He feels good. He will be available [tonight]." Rivera was in the bullpen when Damaso Marte gave up a game-winning grand slam to Marlon Byrd in the ninth, ready if called upon. "I was in the pen, they made the decision," said Rivera, who played long toss before the game, shagged flies during batting practice and did stretching exercise in the bullpen ..."

"When Joe Girardi didn't go to closer Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded, two outs, and a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, it raised a few eyebrows. After the game, Girardi's explanation wasn't very reassuring: Rivera was suffering from a back spasm and was unavailable yesterday afternoon. "He went out to play catch and he just wasn't right," Girardi said of the closer, who is perfect in 26 save opportunities this season. Rivera first felt the soreness after Friday's game, and after feeling it again yesterday before the game he checked in with the Yankees training staff. "Today I was stretching, going out to throw and I felt discomfort in there," Rivera said. "So they decide to ..."

"Mariano Rivera wasn't going to be coming into the Yankees' 14-9 win over the Angels yesterday at Yankee Stadium if the game had needed saving. The 38-year-old closer was unavailable because of discomfort in his upper back. He said he first experienced the problem after Friday's 1-0 loss in which he gave up the run in the ninth. "I felt it on Friday, but I didn't pay attention to it," Rivera said. "Yesterday, I didn't do nothing. Today, I was stretching and going out to throw and I felt discomfort in there. So they decided to shut me down for a day. "I never felt that before. I talked to the doctor and the doctor said maybe it's spasms. ... It's kind of like between the shoulders blades and ..."

"Mariano Rivera felt spasms and soreness between his shoulder blades after pitching against the Angels on Friday and they flared up again Sunday, so he was unavailable for the series finale. It's unclear whether Rivera can pitch tonight when the Yanks open a four-game set in Texas, but both Rivera and Joe Girardi said they weren't concerned about the pain. Neither indicated that any medical tests were scheduled. "I felt it on Friday and I really didn't pay attention to it," Rivera said. "(Sunday), I was stretching and I felt discomfort there and they decided to shut me down. "Hopefully, (tonight) will be good. I've never felt it before. Am I concerned? Not at all." Had he been healthy, ..."

"His primary set-up man is gone, but Mariano Rivera thinks the Yankees improved as a team with Wednesday's swap with the Tigers of Kyle Farnsworth for 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Rivera yesterday put his stamp of approval on GM Brian Cashman's unexpected pre-deadline deal, which provides the Yankees with a full-time replacement behind the plate for the injured Jorge Posada, but further depletes a bullpen that already lost Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation. "I think it will help the team," Rivera said. "[Rodriguez] being with the team gives us the opportunity to be a contender. It's great." Farnsworth had a 4.33 ERA in his 2½ seasons in pinstripes, but he sports a 2.70 ..."

"When Mariano Rivera has walked out of the bullpen and into a save situation this season, he's been like Tiger Woods when leading after the third round of a major - dominant. But as good as Rivera has been at saving games this year - starting the season with a career-best 23-for-23 - he has been just as dicey when pitching in a tie game, and that was the case on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Luckily for Rivera, this time his teammates were there to bail him out. Rivera entered the game with the score tied in the ninth, and gave up a run on two quick hits, only to strike out the next three batters to get out of the inning. It was the seventh time this season Rivera has entered the game ..."

"Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon drew the ire of Yankees fans earlier in the week when he said he should be the closer, before backtracking and saying that Rivera was the best option. He allowed an unearned run in the eighth that gave the NL a 3-2 lead before the AL tied it in the bottom of the inning off Mets closer Billy Wagner. Papelbon was among the players who departed the Stadium early - his nameplate was removed from his locker and his belongings were gone by the time reporters were allowed to enter the clubhouse. Rivera said there were no strained feelings between himself and Papelbon. "He means well," Rivera said. "And when you have a young guy like that he's a competitor. ..."

"THE hero arrived at 11:27 p.m. to a rolling wave of camera flashes, the familiar chords of Enter Sandman and chants of "Mariano, Mariano." Mo Rivera showed up late, which was better than never. He earned a distinct save - for rescuing an otherwise rather drab All-Star Game. His looming presence brought context to an event that badly hungered for electricity. Until the late innings, the 79th All-Star Game was the Indiana Jones sequel - great anticipation followed by greater disappointment. But then the villains began to roll in followed close behind by Rivera."

"For two days everyone kept saying they expected to see something to make this All-Star Game as special as the Yankee Stadium setting. Alex Rodriguez went so far as to say he was sure there would be a signature moment that would have people talking about this game 20 years from now. Uh, not exactly. When the game finally ended at 1:37 this morning on Michael Young's sacrifice fly, with the American League winning, 4-3, in 15 innings, it was hard to remember much of anything but some messy late innings full of missed opportunities and failures to hit in the clutch. That and poor Dan Uggla's stone hands."

"When the American League was poised to win the All-Star Game in the 10th inning Tuesday night, loading the bases with nobody out, it seemed a made-in-the-Bronx moment was brewing: Mariano Rivera would've been the winning pitcher in the last Midsummer Classic at Yankee Stadium. But the AL failed to score, reducing Rivera's appearance to just another terrific bit of relief pitching in a season that's been full of them for the Yankee closer. Plus, fans got to enjoy the scene of Rivera entering the game with one out and a runner on first in the ninth to the strains of his familiar theme song - Metallica's "Enter Sandman." Rivera had the best night of the three Yankees in the game ..."

"Jonathan Papelbon spent the better part of an hour yesterday afternoon explaining why he couldn't merely step aside and concede that Mariano Rivera should be Terry Francona's closer in tonight's 79th All-Star Game. But after filling reporter's notebooks, Papelbon stepped outside of a hotel ballroom and did exactly that. "This is Jonathan Papelbon, closer of the Boston Red Sox," he said, using a reporter's tape recorder like a microphone. "Mariano Rivera will be closing the 2008 All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium. "I'm making a statement right now, saying I don't want it, I want him to have it. I said all that earlier, but that's the way I feel about it.""

"The question kept getting thrown the way of Jonathan Papelbon: Who was going to close out a potential American League win in tonight’s All-Star Game, the Red Sox closer or one of the players the event has been built around, Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera? According to Papelbon, it shouldn’t be that complicated. When you label the other guy as “The Godfather,” there isn’t any real reason to defer. “I’ve always referred to him as The Godfather,”’ said Papelbon who spent some time with Rivera yesterday morning along with current Sox, and former Yankee, coach Gary Tuck. “He’s the Godfather of the closers.""

"TERRY Francona whiffed on his easiest assignment as the AL's All-Star manager yesterday when he named a starting lineup, a starting pitcher, but refused to name his closer. He said NL manager Clint Hurdle "doesn't need our help." If Francona was playing strategy, that was just foolish. Everyone has known who Joe Torre and Joe Girardi are bringing into the game in the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. How exactly has the advanced knowledge that Mo Rivera was waiting in the end game worked out for the other team? If Francona is planning on using someone other than Rivera, perhaps his Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, well, "Yankee Stadium will probably crumble if Papelbon closes," Billy ..."

"Mariano Rivera point outs that he wants to be last man standing on the mound in the All-Star Game. During the Red Sox invasion of Yankee Stadium over the July 4th weekend, Boston manager Terry Francona wasn't budging when it came to the $64,000 question: In Tuesday's All-Star Game at the House That Ruth Built, would the American League manager tap hometown icon Mariano Rivera to record the final three outs of the Midsummer Classic, or would he opt for lights-out Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon?"

"Mariano Rivera is far more likely to close Tuesday's All-Star game than to start it. American League manager Terry Francona didn't sound enamored of the idea that the closer should open the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium."

"The presumption is that they do, or should, know each other. Maybe their careers really do create the perfect parallel, designed not to intersect. Other than that postseason thing, it's almost as if Trevor Hoffman of the Padres and Mariano Rivera of the Yankees have the same career path, but in different leagues. What Hoffman's been to his league, Rivera's been to his, and it's remarkable that they've managed to stay so far apart."

"As it was, Monday's 3-2 loss to the Royals kept the Yankees from winning a series against a team that had lost 11 straight games on the road when it limped into the Stadium. Yet the scary part wasn't that Mariano Rivera gave up his second home run in three days; after all, opponents are still hitting only .143 against him this season, so there's no reason to believe this is anything significant. No, the scary part is that anyone who watched all four games of this series can't honestly say the Yankees looked like a superior team."

"While Girardi is still learning to navigate the minefield that is his job, he can take comfort in one aspect of being the Yankees' skipper."It's great to have Mariano Rivera sitting down in the bullpen to close out games," Girardi said with a smile.Indeed, the 38-year-old Rivera has been as good as ever in his 14th season. He went into the weekend with a 1-1 record, 15 saves and microscopic 0.35 ERA in 24 games.Rivera has raised his career saves total to 458, putting him in line to join San Diego's Trevor Hoffman sometime next season as the only two relievers with 500. Rivera is also making the Yankees look good for signing him to a three-year, $45-million contract in the ..."

"Future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera receives AL Player of the Week honors for first time in storied career. Mariano Rivera was named this week's American League Player of the Week, beating out Scott Kazmir, Josh Hamilton and Johnny Damon for the honor. Rivera appeared in four games, picking up three saves in the process. He gave up one hit and two walks (his first two of the season), striking out seven in five innings."