Speaking to the New York Post, Yankees president Randy Levine talked about the chances that Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter would not be back with the Yankees next season.

I must admit that I am a huge, obsessed, life long Yankees fan. However, I was so tired and so disgusted watching the game last night that I decided to go to bed after the fifth with the Yankees behind 5-0.

Imagine my surprise when I awoke this morning and checked the scores on my phone and saw the Yankees came back and won 8-6 in ten innings.

A-Rod hit another home run around the middle of the game to get the Yankees to 5-2. Joba Chamberlain gave up a run to extend the Yankee deficit to 6-2. The Yankees rallied against Jonathan Broxton with rookie Chad Huffman getting a huge two run single to pull the Yankees to within a run at 6-5.

Then, another rookie, Colin Curtis grounded to James Loney at first and he decided to touch at first which removed the force and turned the play at home into a tag play. Curtis Granderson just slid home before the tag and the Yankees tied the game at six.

Rivera pitched the ninth and retired the side rather easily with one strike out. In the tenth inning, Robinson Cano blasted a two run home run to left center to give the Yankees the lead at 8-6.

Rivera surrendered only a lead off infield single in the tenth and then retired the next three batters in order with two strike outs to end the game.

Rivera was credited with the win in relief and his record now stands at 2-1 on the 2010 season. His ERA was lowered to 0.92.

The other night in Arizona, Mo showed he was human. Superman returned on Friday night at Chavez Ravine. CC Sabathia pitched eight brilliant innings leaving with a 2-1 lead.

Sabathia surrendered a run in the first on an RBI single from Manny Ramirez. The Yankees countered quickly with a double from A-Rod and a one out RBI single from Jorge Posada.

Both Sabathia and Vicente Padilla pitched great. Padilla wasn't quite as great as he gave up A-Rod's 10th home run in the sixth to give the Yankees the lead for good. Padilla is known as a head hunter and he paid for hitting Robinson Cano earlier when CC hit him on the leg with a pitch. Padilla tried to stare down Sabathia, but CC stood tall and protected his teammates.

Rivera had to face the heart of the order in the ninth. Manny Ramirez was up first and Mo struck him out swinging on an outside cutter for the first out. Matt Kemp also struck out on a high fast ball and the Dodger fortunes were left to James Loney. Loney struck out looking on four pitches and threw the bat and helmet in disgust at the call.

Phil Cuzzy, the home plate umpire, pointed at Loney, indicating that a fine was imminent for his action and that he was ejected. After that, Joe Torre and Don Mattingly started screaming at Cuzzy and were vehement in their dissatisfaction. Mattingly pointed at the letters and below his knee to indicate to Cuzzy where he thought those called strikes were.

The save for Rivera is his 17th on the season in 18 save opportunities and the 543rd of his career. His season ERA now stands at 0.99.

With the win and losses by Tampa and Boston the Yankees now have a three game lead in the AL East.

In a game that was played poorly on both sides, Mariano Rivera and the Yankees won in 10 innings. Dontrelle Willis couldn't hit the side of a barn in the first inning, but the Yankees helped him out. Nick Swisher got picked off and Mark Teixeira got thrown out at third trying to steal.

The Diamonbacks went ahead with two runs off Vazquez but also had runners thrown out on the bases as well. Both teams squandered opportunities and the Yankees eventually tied the score at five.

Mariano Rivera entered in the ninth, on the road, in a tie game. What am I missing? Rivera was awesome in the ninth, retiring Parra on a ground out, Ryal with a swinging strike out and Johnson on a fly ball to right.

Curtis Granderson hit a home run in the top of the tenth to give the Yankees a one run lead and even got to bat and eventually grounded out.

In the tenth, Mo was not quite automatic. Stephen Drew looped a single and Justin Upton scorched a double down the line if left. All of a sudden the Diamonbacks had runners on second and third with none out.

Montero was intentionally walked and Mo then beared down. With bombs dropping and the pressure unbelievable, Rivera was cool as the other side of the pillow. He got Chris Young to pop out foul to Cervelli and then got Adam LaRoche to pop out to third for the second out. LaRoche had driven in all five runs for Arizona last night. The last hurdle for Mo was Mark Reynolds and he struck him out swinging to end the game.

The win for Rivera was his first on the season and evens his record at 1-1. With the two scoreless innings, his 2010 season ERA now stands at 1.03. The win combined with a Tampa loss extends the Yankee lead to 2 1/2 in the AL East.

The Yakees are off today and conclude interleague play and the road trip with a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine on Friday night.

From Joel Sherman of the Post:


He certainly has the right to want top of the market money for multiple years. Even if he takes a one year deal, as long as he's performing at top of the market, I'd expect him to be the highest paid closer in the game.

Thanks to Mr. D'Agostino for the tip.

CC Sabathia was brilliant for eight innings and then it started to pour. It only lasted for twenty-two minutes but Mo was summoned to finish the job.

Mark Teixeira hit a bomb for the second consecutive day, this time a grand slam and that was all the scoring for the game. Sabathia had one inning with two on and no out but a strike out and double play ended the inning without any damage.

The game was touted as a pitcher's duel between Johan Santana for the Mets and Sabathia for the Yankees. Santana was okay but Sabathia totally shut down the Mets offense.

Before Teixeira's granny the Yankees got three consecutive singles. Brett Gardner led off with a single to left and that was followed by an infield single from Derek Jeter. Nick Swisher then delivered a perfect push bunt up the first base line which he got past Santana and was safe when the throw could not be handled. Tex then delivered and the Yankees were set for the day.

Rivera came in for the ninth and faced Angel Pagan to start the inning. He was retired easily on a grounder unassisted to Teixeira. David Wright then flew out to fairly deep right and Ike Davis grounded to short to end the game.

Rivera did not earn a save for his performance but his 2010 season ERA was lowered to a stellar 1.11.

As a side note, the win for the Yankees was the 9500th in their history and vaulted them into first place in the AL East with Tampa losing to Florida. The Subway Series for 2010 concluded with each team winning three games.

It looked like Phil Hughes was going to have somewhat of a long day. On the second pitch of the game he gave up a home run to Jose Reyes. The Yankees battled back to tie the score in the bottom of the first but in the third Reyes struck again after a walk to Henry Blanco.

Mike Pelfrey was giving up hits but the Mets maintained a 3-1 lead. Mark Teixeira tied the score with a two run blast off Pelfrey and Curtis Granderson got the game winner when Pelfrey hung a curve ball, placing it deep into the right field grandstand which gave the Yankees the lead for good at 5-3.

Phil Hughes struggled in the sixth but got a huge double play when Jason Bay grounded to Kevin Russo at third and he turned the around the horn double play to end the inning. He followed that with a perfect seventh.

Joba Chamberlain rebounded from a terrible outing with a solid eighth inning. He surrendered a two out double to Angel Pagan but then struck out David Wright on three pitches to end the inning.

In the bottom of eighth, the Yankees squandered an opportunity to extend the lead. Cano followed a walk to A-Rod with a fly to deep center field which Pagan lost in the sun and it fell for a double. Igarashi worked out of trouble by getting Posada to fly out to short right field and striking out Granderson for the second out. Gardner was then retired to end the inning.

Rivera faced Ike Davis to start the inning and fell behind 2-0 but then came back to strike him out swinging with the next three pitches. Jason Bay grounded to second and Chris Carter grounded to Tex at first to end the game.

The save for Rivera is his 16th of the season in 17 save opportunities and the 542nd of his career. His 2010 season ERA now stands at 1.16.

It wasn't a save situation, but with an off day tomorrow, Girardi wanted to keep Mo sharp.

Phil Hughes won his 9th game in 10 decisions but gave up five runs in the process. He struggled a bit especially in the sixth when the Astros erupted for four runs. A bloop double put runners on second and third and Manzella battled by continually fouling off pitches until he grounded a single threw the hole for two runs. Kevin Cash then blasted a two run home run to bring the Astros to within two runs.

The Yankees would add two insurance runs and Joba pitched a solid eighth inning prior to Mo's appearance.

In the ninth, Mo got Kevin Cash to bounce back to the mound and then caught Michael Bourn looking prior to ringing up Jeff Keppinger swinging to end the game.

Rivera is 0-1 on the season with 15 saves in 16 save opportunities and his season ERA now stands at 1.21.

The Yankee win coupled with a Rays loss now brings the Yankees and Rays to a flat footed tie for first place in the AL East.

Mariano Rivera figurines were handed out to the older fans on Friday night in the Bronx and the Sandman did not disappoint. The Yankees playing without A-Rod and Brett Gardner managed four runs off of Brett Myers and handed Mo a one run lead to the ninth.

Rivera got Carlos Lee on a ground out to second and then struck out Hunter Pence looking and Jason Michaels swinging to end the game.

The save for Rivera was his 15th on the season in 16 save opportunities and the 541st of his career. His 2010 season ERA now stands at 1.27.

I was proud to be there and see Mo bring the Yankees to within one game of the AL East lead.

The Yankees rallied for three runs late with the aid of three Baltimore errors and then tacked on an insurnace run in the eighth with the speed of Brett Gardner and a clutch single from Francisco Cervelli.

Rivera was workmanlike, needing only eleven pitches to retire the side. He got Julio Lugo to fly to center and then struck out Miguel Tejada swinging before getting Nick Markakis to fly to center to end the game.

The save for Rivera was his 14th on the season and 540th of his career. He is 0-1 on the season and his ERA now stands at 1.33.