» Rivera blows Save...Yanks lose 5-4 Yankees Blog

April 16, 2007

YANKEES 4
OAKLAND 5

Sunday afternoon in Oakland, something very very rare happened…. Rivera blew a save. Mariano Rivera (1-1) blew his first save opportunity of the young season on Sunday, surrendering a three-run home run to infielder Marco Scutaro in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Athletics stunned the Yankees, pulling out a 5-4 victory.

The Yankees got an impressive start out of Andy Pettitte. Pettitte turned in his lengthiest performance of the season, throwing 101 pitches in a seven-inning effort. After a first inning error (which seems to occur way too often this season), Oakland jumped on the board with 2 runs. After that 1st inning, Andy Pettitte limited the A’s to just three hits over the next six innings. In total, Pettitte scattered six hits, walking one and striking out four before handing over a one-run lead to Scott Proctor for the eighth inning.

The Yankee offense would wake up in the 7th inning, manufacturing 3 runs. Jorge Posada punched a run-scoring double into the corner in left, scoring New York’s first run. Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera followed with successive sacrifice flies to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The Yanks would go on to tack another run on, and give Rivera a 2 run cushion for the 9th. Then …the unthinkable happned…

Mark Scuttaro would hit a 3 run walk-off homer, to seal the victory for the A’s, and give them the series win. “More than anything, you realize Mo’s a human being,” Pettitte said. “I don’t think people realize that — sometimes including us.” It was upsetting to see the blown save, after a great performance on the mound by Pettitte.. but still nothing to get alarmed about.

The Yankees will return to action on Tueday night at Yankee Stadium against the Cleveland Indians. They will take the field behind Chase Wright, a 24-year-old left-hander summoned from Double-A to make his Major League debut.

GAME NOTES:

PETTITTE: Pitched a good game, and looked stronger than his previous starts. (7 IP, 6 H, 4K, 1 ER).
A-ROD: 2-3, 1 RBI
POSADA: 2-3, 1 RBI