There are times Mariano Rivera adds a little more excitement to the ninth inning than he has in the past, but even when it gets sticky, Joe Torre has a feeling of comfort wash over him with his closer on the mound.
“Mo is the best,” Torre said of Rivera, who allowed two hits and a run in the ninth inning of yesterday’s 7-6 win over the Twins, but notched his 424th save and 11th of the season. “I have been spoiled for 12 years. You call on him and you feel comfortable.”
Torre has been the manager for every one of those saves, so it’s easy for him to feel confident when Rivera is on the mound.
The save tied Rivera with former Met John Franco for third on the all-time list.
*
Johnny Damon started in center field yesterday when Torre needed Hideki Matsui as the designated hitter because Alex Rodriguez was held out with a hamstring injury. Torre shifted Melky Cabrera from center to left.
“That’s what I do,” Damon said of playing center, where he hadn’t started a game since June 21. “But it seemed like Melky gave us a spark when he moved to center and we took advantage of his arm. That’s why I have been used as the DH most of the time. I just want to make myself available to play anywhere.”
After playing eight innings Damon, who went 1-for-4 and scored a run, was gassed.
“I felt like I was going to pass out after three innings,” he said.
Damon showed his leg and rib cage aches are not issues with a diving catch after a long run to rob Lew Ford of an extra-base hit that would have driven in a run in the fourth.
*
Mike Mussina works well with Wil Nieves, but the backup catcher’s throwing has regressed and he is batting .120. So might Torre move away from using Nieves with Mussina?
“Going forward we will have to reference one [Mussina pitching well] against the other [Nieves’ bat and arm], but right now, Moose is pitching good and he could throw to me,” Torre said.
*
Major League Baseball drug-testing personnel were at Yankee Stadium yesterday. Mike Myers was tested, but it wasn’t clear if other players were. . . . GM Brian Cashman said Jason Giambi had an MRI on his left foot Wednesday when Dr. William Hamilton removed the walking boot. Hamilton will order another MRI, Cashman said.
