The script couldn't have been any better for the weekend. Great starting pitching, timely home runs and hand it over to Mo to finish the job. For the third consecutive game of the series Mariano Rivera earned a save against the Detroit Tigers helping the Yankees to a weekend sweep of the series.
Joba Chamberlain was the pitcher of 2007 as his fastball was clocked in the mid to upper nineties for most of the game. He only surrendered a home run to rookie Clete Thomas. A-Rod struck right back in the fourth to tie it and Tex hit his 23rd of the season to put the Yankees ahead at 2-1.
Joba was pulled with two outs in the seventh in favor of Phil Coke who threw only one pitch to retire Curtis Granderson on a soft liner to short. Phil Hughes pitched a scoreless eighth and the Sandman closed the door.
In the ninth Brandon Inge led off and Mo fell behind 2-0 but induced a grounder to short for the first out. Magglio Ordonez pinch hit and he broke his bat on a weak grounder to second. Gerald Laird battled and drew a rare walk from Mo. It was only the fourth walk of the season and first since June 12th for Rivera. Ramon Santiago was the last hope for the Tigers and he ended as so many batters have done before against Mariano with a broken bat grounder to second to end the game.
The save for Mo is his 26th of the season in 27 save opportunities and 508th of his career. His season ERA now stands at 2.25.
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