NO PLAYER embodies the mystique and aura of this Yankee generation quite like Mariano Rivera. His late-game job description and late-season dominance feed the perception.

But it also is about Rivera defying baseball logic by amassing a career of such substance with a single pitch. Hitters have talked about his cut fastball with a burning-bush reverence; a puzzle that you know the answer to, but still can’t solve.

There have been reasons for that beyond the otherworldliness of a 95-mph pitch that makes a severe left turn about 10 feet from the batter’s box. Rivera throws it with such effortlessness as to add deception to the speed. That quality is made more devious because hitters get so few plate appearances against him, so it is near impossible to gain complete comfort. And, when all else fails, as Derek Jeter says, “He’s probably the most mentally tough player I have ever played with.”

But what happens when the mystery is gone and the mentality is matched? The Red Sox are showing that now. They simply have seen Rivera so much with the schedule unbalanced and the ALCS having gone a combined 14 games between these teams the past two years that familiarity has bred success. Boston hitters have gained a comfort physically and psychologically batting against one of the most uncomfortable pitches of all time.

Jason Varitek, in his 18th regular-season at-bat against Rivera, homered with one out in the ninth inning yesterday to tie the score. Jeter, the other cornerstone of the Joe Torre Era, produced the save on this afternoon with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning that gave the Yankees a 4-3 triumph.

However, even as the Yanks beat the Red Sox for the second time in as many 2005 games behind a strong Carl Pavano debut and another Hideki Matsui homer, Rivera cast a shadow of a doubt about his abilities against Boston just as shadows began inching onto the infield. And that cannot be understated.

The AL pennant has run through New York and Boston the past two years, and no one will be shocked if it does so again in 2005. These two teams are addicted to close games, and that means Rivera will have more Red Sox-Yankee games in his hands, possibly again in October. Rivera blew seven saves last year, including the postseason, and four were against the Red Sox. He now has blown five of his last eight save tries against Boston.

“We’ve probably had more success against him than others, but that might be because we see him so much,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “But, believe me, when he comes in, we are not doing jumping jacks.”

Rivera faced five batters in the ninth. Interestingly, he struck out Edgar Renteria and Mark Bellhorn, the two Boston hitters who have seen him least in their careers. Besides Varitek, Bill Mueller – who inflicted the memorable blown save on Rivera in last year’s tide-turning ALCS Game 4 – had a line single and Johnny Damon finished the top of the ninth with a drive that Gary Sheffield caught against the wall that probably gets out in June or July. Even after Sheffield caught the ball, Rivera stared in disbelief toward the track, the kind of see-him-sweat look you hardly ever witness on the field from Rivera.

“I was upset at myself,” Rivera said. “I’m a human being. I’m a normal guy. You guys think I am a machine. I bleed.”

He insists the Red Sox are not in his head, however, and that he plans no adjustments against them. He will not cut down on cutters. He said this was not about Boston, but about himself. He made bad pitches to Varitek and Damon and, Rivera said, major league hitters from any team would feast on such mistakes.

Except when Varitek, wearing the designation of captain on his chest turned on an appetizing, belt-high cutter, you would have had to “C” no evil to pretend the Red Sox do not have a bit of a curse against Rivera.

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Save old story

In Mariano Rivera’s past nine outings against the Red Sox, the Yankees closer has blown five save opportunities, including yesterday. He has only three other blown saves since the start of the 2004 season.

Here’s a look at Rivera’s lines from those games:

Date IP H R ER BB SO Result

July 24, 2004 2/3 3 3 3 0 0 L, 11-10 (BS)

Sept. 17, 2004 1 2 2 2 1 2 L, 3-2 (BS)

Sept. 24, 2004 1 1 0 0 1 0 W, 6-4 (SV)

Oct. 12, 2004 11/3 2 0 0 0 0 W, 10-7 (SV)

Oct. 13, 2004 11/3 1 0 0 0 3 W, 3-1 (SV)

Oct. 17, 2004 2 2 1 1 2 2 L, 6-4 (BS)

Oct. 18, 2004 2 1 0 0 0 1 L, 5-4 (BS)

Oct. 20, 2004 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 L, 10-3

Yesterday 1 2 1 1 0 2 W, 4-3 (BS)