New York Yankees overpower Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 as Mariano Rivera saves 601st – MLB Update
The New York Yankees edged past the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, September 17 to draw level after losing the first game 4-5 on Friday, September 16.
Mariano Rivera bagged his 42nd save of the season to register his 601st career-save, tying the Major League record for most career-saves. With 12 games left in the regular season, Rivera needs just one more to establish himself as the
greatest closer of all-time in the history of baseball.
Rivera restrained his curiosity after equalling the record and said, “To me it was normal.” The 41-year-old pitched a perfect ninth to give Yankees a much-needed win in their pursuit of the American League East title. They have increased their lead to 4.5
games over the Boston Red Sox but nothing seems to be certain for manager Joe Girardi unless the title is officially theirs.
Girardi did not express hit excitement on Rivera’s achievement, stating that for now, the AL East is more important as far as the team is concerned. However, he did agree that reaching 602 will stamp Mariano’s authority as the best closer ever to feature
on the mound.
Blue Jays scored six quick-runs to impose pressure on the visitors but some precise relief work saw the Yankees re-emerge in the game. Bartolo Colon was unglued for six runs in his spell of four innings but he was lucky to get a no-decision in the end. However,
this performance added concerns to the bull-pen, which has largely failed to impress barring CC Sabathia.
Yankees scored their first run in the fourth inning when Curtis Granderson reached home plate on Robinson Cano’s sacrifice fly. Granderson scored another in the sixth inning before Alex Rodriguez rocketed a three-run homer for the scorecard to show 6-5.
Hector Noesi and Rafael Soriano held things together from the mound for New York in the seventh and eighth inning respectively to keep the deficit to one run. Granderson smashed his 40th home-run of the season in the seventh inning, yielding two
runs to see the Yankees take a crucial one-run lead over the home side.
A-Rod has been under the radar this season for putting up an ordinary show but he has taken criticism positively and the Yankees will now want him to perform in the postseason, which has been Rodriguez’s forte.
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