Mariano Rivera Highlights

The great Rivera mid 10th inning after his 2 scoreless innings in 4-4 tie game v the Twins which the Yankees won in 11, 6-4. ap photo. Sorry, no fist pump, and sorry his career isn't over. Really. He didn't get a Save or the Win for his effort, so Goose Gossage, MLB/ESPN/BBWAA will be able to say he's a wimp. Marc Carig from the Star Ledger reports during the game:

• NEW YORK -- "Bonus baseball here in the Bronx, with the score still tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th.

• If the Yankees win this game, part of the reason will be Mariano Rivera, who gutted one out on Saturday.
  

• He's not in the stage of his career where he should be going more than one inning.
  

But after retiring the side in the ninth, Rivera worked out of trouble to put up another zero in the 10th.

• Justin Morneau reached on an infield single and
  

• Jason Kubel followed with a broken-bat bloop to center.
  

But Rivera, as he's always done, kept it together."...."Mariano Rivera Works 2 Scoreless innings, Game still tied 4-4 in 11th"

• From George King, NY Post: "He zipped through the Twins in the ninth on 11 pitches. Then he asked Joe Girardi to let him work the 10th.

• "They had the heart of the lineup and I think that's my job," Rivera said. "I think it worked."

With a touch of anxiety. Justin Morneau, who has worked over the right-field seats in two games (three solo homers), singled with Rivera deflecting the shot. Next, Jason Kubel sent a broken-bat single dump into center. Two on, no out, 10th inning. What was Rivera thinking?

"I've got to get him out," said Rivera,

• who felt batter Michael Cuddyer wouldn't bunt, which was a plus for the Yankees.
  

"So I was trying to make a good pitch to get a groundball, not a flyball. A strikeout, something. . . . It went our way.""No Need to Panic...Joba, Mo look Strong," NY Post, 5/17/09

• (Maybe a reference to batters before Cuddyer or to Cuddyer himself, but the NY Times has Rivera thinking someone would bunt in that frame): "The Twins started that inning with two soft singles, and Rivera said he thought they might bunt. But Michael Cuddyer was up, and with no sacrifices since 2005, he swung away and popped out." The Post saying Mo didn't think Cuddyer would bunt (above). From NY Times, Kepner, 5/16/09, "Rodriguez's homer lifts Yankees in 11th"
  

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chamberlain	6.0	3	2	2	4	6	1	3.76
Veras (H, 1)	0.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	6.75
Coke (BS, 2)	1.1	2	2	2	1	1	1	4.60
Ramirez, E	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	0	4.86
Rivera	2.0	2	0	0	0	2	0	2.93
Aceves, A (W, 1-0)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.45