You would expect to see a palm tree sprouting on River Avenue before witnessing what happened at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon.
Mariano Rivera, pitching in a save situation for the first time since April 30, walked in a run, then gave up a grand slam in the eighth inning to blow the game in the Yankees’ 6-3 loss to the Twins in front of 46,628 fans.
“I didn’t do my job,” Rivera said.
The loss ended the Yankees’ 12-game winning streak over the Twins and provided a bad start to a week when the Bombers have three straight series against their top rivals, the Red Sox, Rays and Mets.
Rivera’s stumble was stunning because it happens so rarely and almost never in such dramatic fashion.
The 40-year-old closer relieved Joba Chamberlain with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth, and the Yankees holding a 3-1 lead. He fell behind Twins designated hitter Jim Thome 3-0, before getting a strike and two foul balls. Rivera’s seventh pitch was high and outside, forcing Orlando Hudson home to make it 3-2.
Jason Kubel, the next batter, took a 1-0 cutter into the right-field seats for the grand slam.
“Even when [Rivera] walks in a run you think he’s going to get out of it,” Derek Jeter said. “He is human, but it’s not too often that we’re doing these interviews talking about Mo making a mistake.”
Kubel’s blast was the fourth grand slam Rivera has given up in his career, and the first since July 14, 2002, when the Indians’ Bill Selby got him. Interestingly, Thome, then with Cleveland, was on first base that day, after an intentional walk (this time, he was pinch-run for).
The last time Rivera allowed a grand slam at home, he was a starting pitcher, Don Mattingly was playing first base and Buck Showalter was the Yankees manager. That came on June 6, 1995, when Oakland’s Geronimo Berroa took him out.
The blown save ended a streak of 51 straight home saves for Rivera, tied with Eric Gagne for the longest streak all-time. Rivera’s last blown save at home came on Aug. 13, 2007 against the Orioles.
After yesterday’s game, Rivera was more bothered by the bases-loaded walk than the grand slam. It was the first time he walked someone home since May 6, 2005, when Keith Ginter took the pass for Oakland.
“You’ve got control of that,” said Rivera, who had not allowed a run this year before the walk. “Home runs, anything can happen. But walking the run in is unacceptable. You cannot go in there and do that.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi called on Rivera to enter in the eighth inning for the first time this season. With Sergio Mitre making a spot start, the Yankees’ bullpen was short on arms.
Chamberlain, who had been lights out, began the inning. He gave up a single and a walk before striking out Justin Morneau for the second out. Chamberlain nearly escaped the inning when Michael Cuddyer hit a line drive toward first baseman Mark Teixeira, who jumped and knocked the ball down with his glove, but could not make the catch.
That’s when Girardi brought Rivera in to get four outs.
“It is startling because he’s been so great,” Girardi said. “He’s been great for us this year and today it didn’t happen.”
The eighth-inning fireworks blew a strong outing from Mitre, who made the start after a rainout in Detroit forced Girardi to shuffle his rotation.