Mariano Rivera’s top five best moments

1. Going the Distance: October 16, 2003 at Yankee Stadium

Of Rivera’s 96 postseason appearances, his longest was his very first, 3¹/₃ innings against Seattle in Game 2 of the 1995 American League Division Series. This 2003 game marked his second-longest, and his most memorable.

In arguably the most intense playoff series of Rivera’s career, the Yankees and Red Sox going at it in the AL Championship Series, the Yankees’ three-run, eighth-inning rally off Pedro Martinez tied Game 7 at 5-5, and manager Joe Torre gave the ball to Rivera for the top of the ninth. Rivera permitted one hit in the ninth, another in the 10th and recorded a 1-2-3 11th inning.

When Aaron Boone started the bottom of the 11th by launching a pennant-winning homer off Tim Wakefield, an emotional Rivera ran to the mound and collapsed upon it, creating one of the most lasting images of his career. He deservedly captured Most Valuable Player honors for the series.

2. The King’s Unnecessary Coronation: September 19, 2011 at new Yankee Stadium

Has there even been a more anti-climatic, less meaningful passing of the torch than when Rivera picked up career save 602 to surpass Trevor Hoffman as the all-time leader? After all, if Rivera had retired with 601, no one, including Hoffman, would have asserted Rivera to be the inferior closer.

So what made this such a memorable afternoon? Everyone else on site. The intelligent Stadium fans roared with approval when Nick Swisher hit into a double play to end the eighth inning, thereby preserving a 6-4 lead — a save situation — for Rivera. When Rivera struck out the Twins’ Chris Parmalee to make it official, Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez nudged Rivera back toward the mound, where he bathed in the crowd’s approval.

3. Subway Kings: October 26, 2000 at Shea Stadium

Rivera closed out four World Series titles for the Yankees — 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009 — plus he set up John Wetteland in 1996. This one stands out among the pack because of the series, the opponent and the batter.

The Yankees and Mets battled fiercely for all five games of the 2000 Fall Classic (the final run differential was just 19-16, Yankees), and even after Luis Sojo’s ninth-inning, 18-hopper brought home two runs to give the Yankees a 4-2 edge in Game 5, the drama hadn’t quite concluded. Benny Agbayani’s one-out walk set up a matchup between Rivera and potential tying run Mike Piazza, and off the bat, Piazza’s thundering shot looked like it had a chance to get out. Nevertheless, the Shea winds kept Piazza’s blast well in the park, and Bernie Williams caught it easily, giving Rivera the edge in this duel of legends.

4. All-Star Salute: July 16, 2013 at Citi Field

At the All-Star Game, host players Matt Harvey and David Wright wound up as the mere supporting cast once the visitors’ bullpen door swung open for the bottom of the eighth inning. When Rivera — tabbed an inning early just in case there was no bottom of the ninth — jogged toward the mound, the familiar “Enter Sandman” played, and the AL roster stayed in the dugout, leaving the entire stage for just Mo.

He blew kisses and performed a 360-degree tip of the hat, and then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. His Most Valuable Player award was fueled by nostalgia as much as merit, yet no one seemed to mind.

5. Double Milestone: June 28, 2009 at Citi Field

Odd, isn’t it, how many of Rivera’s best moments occurred in Flushing? But how could you keep out this one? On the same night Rivera recorded his 500th career save against the Mets, he also picked up his first (and only) career RBI.

Called upon by manager Joe Girardi in the eighth inning, Rivera struck out Omir Santos looking and then, in the top of the ninth, the Yankees rallied. Francisco Rodriguez intentionally walked Derek Jeter to load the bases for Rivera, who worked a seven-pitch walk, thrilling the many Yankees fans in the stands. Rivera threw a scoreless ninth to seal the 4-2 victory and provide a statistical oddity extremely unlikely to be duplicated.