New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera got his 500th career save, shutting the door on the New York Mets. The Yankees won the game 4-2, after opening out the gate with three runs in the first inning. Mets pitcher Livan Hernandez pitched well, holding the Yankees scoreless after that first inning and not giving up another run for another six innings. Chien Ming Wang of the Yankees got his first win of the season and his first in over a year. Rivera also got his first career RBI when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning off of Francisco Rodriguez.
This is a big milestone for Rivera. In my opinion, Rivera is the best closer of all-time in baseball. Rivera has surpassed Dennis Eckersley, who has made the position an important one with his dominance with the Oakland Athletics in the 1980s and 1990s. Trevor Hoffman still has more saves than Rivera, as they're the only two pitchers in baseball with at least 500 career saves. But Hoffman hasn't done anything remotely challenging in his career. The impressive thing about Rivera's career is his playoff track record also.
Rivera has been equally dominant in the regular season as he has in the playoffs. Rivera has four championships, and his only blunder in the playoffs prevented him from getting a fifth championship. In the 2001 World Series with the Yankees up 2-1 in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7, the Diamondbacks rallied for two runs to win the game and the championship. Rivera has gotten other saves however, and his mark on the game as a closer has not been matched by any other closer.
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