The game was in the bag, Mariano Rivera was summoned in the bottom of the eight inning to record a four out save. Rivera has been perfect all season, he didn’t let up any runs in all his save oppurtunites… until yesterday. Viewers might have thought they were dreaming, but it is true, Rivera facing Jason Kubel with the bases loaded let up a grand slam! Rivera has only let up four grand slams in his career and the last time Rivera let up a grand slam at home was back in 1995! With Kubel’s grand slam, he stopped Rivera’s consecutive save streak at home with 51, tied with Eric Gagne.

In the bottom of the 9th inning the Yankees tried to rally back. Mark Teixiera got up as the tying run with two outs and a runner on first and second and struck out looking on a pitch that was clearly inside but ruled a strike. The Yankees haven’t brought out any pies yet this year, they had a chance yesterday to bring their walk-off magic of last year back, but they fell short.

Rivera is not a machine, he is human. It was bound to happen sometime. Sometimes he is so dominate it is completely shocking when he fails, especially in the fashion that he did yesterday. Every year this happens and fans think, “Oh no, he’s falling apart! Is he at the end of his line?” Then by the end of the year fans forget that his few early season mishaps even happened. Rivera may have a few more bad games to come but his good games will outweigh the bad ones so much that they will be forgotten like usual.

The Twins finally got the monkey off their back defeating the Yankess 6-3. (Yankees.com)

by Eric Heyer at the Sports Fan Blog Network

“I’m beat up right now,” Rivera said jokingly on Sunday. “You play for the organization that has given you everything. It doesn’t matter how long you go, as long as you do it right.”

Rivera got the last out of the eighth on one pitch, then dominated the ninth with two strikeouts. Even after retiring the Angels in the 10th, his longest outing in years, he was only at 24 pitches. That’s often what a reliever, even Rivera, might throw in one inning.

“Knowing we had an off day [Sunday] and how few pitches Mo threw in those four outs, we felt we could go back to him,” Girardi said.

The downside: Rivera, 39, who had minor shoulder surgery — if there is such a thing for a pitcher — last winter may need more care than he has needed in the past. Also, Rivera often struggles coming into tie games because he may be too aggressive with pitches in his first inning to keep his pitch count low for a second inning.

But Rivera’s effort stretched out both the game and the Yankees bullpen so they could win it in the 13th.


Click here to read the full article – By DOM AMORE of Courant.com

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And that’s why the Yankees have done in 2009 what they had not done in five long years, survived the first round of playoffs and advanced to the ALCS. They beat the Twins 4-1 Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep in the Division Series in the last baseball at the Metrodome.

Andy Pettitte pitched the first 6 1/3 innings to get his 15th postseason win, tying John Smoltz’s record, and Mariano Rivera applied the finishing touches as the Yankees held the Twins to six runs in the three games.

“You can talk about home runs all you want,” said Rodriguez, who hit a game-tying home run, his second of the series, off Carl Pavano in the seventh. “If you don’t pitch, and you don’t defend, you’re not going to win. The story of this series was CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte; they were all terrific. You get some big hits at the end, but it wouldn’t have been possible without their performances.”

The Yankees, after pouring still more champagne and beer all over each other, have four days to rest for the ALCS, where they will play the Angels. Game 1 is Friday at Yankee Stadium.

“It feels great, but I have to give the credit to everybody else,” said manager Joe Girardi, who won his first playoff series. “Our starting pitching was tremendous. That sets the tone.”

Click here to read the full article – By Dom Amore of Courant.com

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“I’m not jumping for joy here,” Posada said Thursday after the Yankees’ off-day workout. “But I accept it.”

He better.

Jose Molina will be behind the plate tonight when A.J. Burnett faces the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS. And while it would be entirely fair to say that as an offensive player Molina can’t carry Posada’s bat, it also would be no exaggeration to say right now everything is rolling in the Yankees’ favor. The two O’s in October — Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia — produced in a significant way in Game 1, the Twins look kind of spent … and if the sometimes electric, other times enigmatic Burnett pitches to his level of talent, there will be an undeniable scent of sweep in the air. Posada would be an idiot to disrupt the momentum.

Molina comes from a family of catchers, brothers in arms and shin pads. And as he held court, a rarity for him in this A-list clubhouse, everything about the career backup suggested he understands the complex psychology of handling pitchers.

“I prefer that a pitcher be 100 percent in his pitch than 50-50 in my pitch,” Molina said at one point. “We don’t know everything.”

Posada has caught 78 of the past 79 Yankee postseason games and sometimes he catches like he knows everything. Posada is prideful. He’s a leader. As evidenced by the two passed balls in Game 1, he also is not Johnny Bench back there. Never was. He hasn’t always meshed with pitchers. Of course, he’s not happy he isn’t playing just as he wasn’t happy when Joe Torre decided to use John Flaherty to catch Randy Johnson in 2005 (the Big Unit was terrible that night). He shouldn’t be happy. No athlete wants to sit.

“I know how bad Jorge wants to be out there and how intense he is,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Obviously, as time goes on, things can either build or diminish in the story. But we talked about it Sunday. I’m not saying he liked it, but emotionally he was good with me.

“It was a hard conversation.”

Click here to read the full article – By Jeff Jacobs of Courant.com

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“I just hope we win that game,” Posada said. “That’s all. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Girardi is starting Molina because of the “rhythm” he believes Burnett shares with him. The last six times Burnett’s pitched, Molina’s caught him, and Burnett’s gone 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

“They’ve been in a real good rhythm when they’ve been working together,” Girardi said. “And we just felt we would keep it that way.”

A dour Posada called it a “manager’s decision.”

“It’s not like I didn’t see it coming,” he said yesterday.

“We talked about it on Sunday and he was OK,” Girardi said. “I’m sure he’s disappointed. Jorge would want to play every inning. I don’t blame him.”

Posada has started 77 of the Yankees’ 78 playoff games this decade. The last time he didn’t start a Yankees playoff game — Game 3 of the 2005 ALDS vs. the Angels when John Flaherty caught Randy Johnson — the catcher who subbed for him was caught a little off-guard.


Click here to read the full article – By MARK HALE and GEORGE A. KING III of NYpost.com

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The home runs pushed his career total to 583 and ties former Athletics and Cardinals superstar Mark McGwire for eighth on the all-time list.

Still, when it comes to Rodriguez, it’s always, “What Have You Done For Me Lately.”

He knows Yankees fans have been waiting since 2004 for him to deliver in the postseason like he did yesterday when the Rays foolishly walked Mark Teixeira to load the bases after Rodriguez already crushed a three-run homer in the sixth.

Rodriguez also understands the blame will fall on his shoulders if the Yankees don’t win the World Series and he doesn’t hit.

Nevertheless, Rodriguez said he is comfortable and likes the Yankees’ chances.

“We have a very deep lineup, one of the best if not the best,” Rodriguez said. “I know I hit cleanup for a reason. There is going to be a point where we need a big hit and my number is called. I am looking forward to that.”


Click here to read the full article – By GEORGE A. KING III of Nypost.com

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