Rivera and Pettitte Tie Record, Yankees Win

Mariano Rivera’s save in the Yankees’ win last night marked the 57th time he has recorded a save when Andy Pettitte starts. This ties the record for win-save combinations, originally set by Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch. The 5-3 victory improves the Yankees’ record to 8-6, while the Athletics fall to 5-8.

Quick ‘Cap
Brett Gardner made the No. 3 play on SportsCenter with his diving catch towards the center field in the first inning off Jason Giambi’s bat. Then in the second inning, Gardner did it with the bat when he drove in two runs starting a four-run rally that proved to be the difference in the game.

The A’s mustered a small rally in the fourth off Pettitte, but they could only manage two runs off the lefty. They scored one more off Brian Bruney in the eighth, but Rivera closed the game out for the fourth time this season.  Full box score here.

Thoughts:
It was a nice win for the Yanks after last night’s rain out. This makes two straight wins after absorbing the 22-4 beating from the Indians last Saturday. Maybe that loss did more good than bad for the team because it showed them exactly how not to win.

Meanwhile, Xavier Nady will not need surgery because he only has a partially torn ligament, according to Jon Heyman. Some people might be saying that it’s not that bad of a hit for the Yanks because of Swisher’s surprising start, but I disagree. Having Nady in the lineup or on the bench puts less pressure on Swish and adds depth to the team, which means a lot.

Offensive Notables:
- Gardner really provided the spark the Yankees needed in the first inning, and then showed up on the offensive side as well. After he drove in the Yanks’ first two runs, he stole second base - his fourth of the season.
- Johnny Damon had a nice game too, going 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI.

Pitching Notables:
- Pettitte moves to 2-0 on the season, and his turned in three excellent starts. Despite striking out zero batters, he gave up two runs and watched his ERA rise to 2.53.
- Rivera converted his fourth save in as many chances, and is yet to allow a run. You cannot ask for more from him.

Up Next:
CC Sabathia will make his second bid at his first win at the new Yankee Stadium today at 1:05 p.m. Sabathia (1-1) will face Oakland’s Brett Anderson (2-1). Lineups and updates later.

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