In his 19th season in the major leagues, Mariano Rivera still managed to do something he has never done before over the weekend. Unfortunately, the Yankees closer presumably wants to forget it.
Rivera blew three straight save opportunities for the first time in his career, the third coming on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. With the Yankees leading 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, both Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez hit solo home runs to tie the game.
The 43-year-old, who gave up a homer to Cabrera the previous game, was bailed out in two of the three blown saves.
“At least it’s the first time (for three straight), you know what I mean?” Rivera said after Brett Gardner hit a walk-off home run, via the New York Daily News. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. I just try to go out there and do my job. The last three opportunities, I haven’t done it. So we have to continue battling and get better. Have to keep working and eventually it will happen.”
In his last three appearances -- two against the Tigers and one against the White Sox -- Rivera pitched four innings and gave up seven hits, three of which were homers and allowed five earned runs.
The Yankees went 2-1 in those three games.
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