with score tied 2-2, Rivera gives up game winning HR in the top 9th to Adrián Béltre of the Seattle Mariners. this wasnt a blown save, but it might as well be one. At this point, I don't know what to think of Mariano anymore. Is he really done for?? or is this just another "oops"?? idk
Good question,
Not sure, he usually starts off slow but I can't remember him being this bad in a long time. His velocity is off and his pitches are missing their locations BADLY. I hope for the Yankees sake a little more playing time will get him back on track, he's hardly pitched so far this season. But, he is getting pretty old....so, I hope it's not old age. We'll see, but I think some more pitching time will get him back on track.
The thing about closers is that when they go, it's not a slow decline, they are more likely to just fall off of a cliff. Mo has already gone well past the shelf life of the average closer.
The only closer I can think of that has lost a lot of velocity and still managed to be an upper echelon guy is Hoffman, but he developed a devastating change-up as he got older. Rivera is basically a one-pitch pitcher, and that pitch is effective because of the movement he has gotten from his velocity.
All that said, Rivera could get back on track starting tomorrow and it wouldn't shock anybody. But sometime in the not too distant future, whether it is now or 2 years from nwo, he's going to go through a bad stretch, and he's just not going to rebound.
i heard the cut fastball no longer cuts.
He's done. GO M'S!
Exactly, his location was HORRIBLE on that HR, he was wayyyyy off from where that pitch was supposed to be. He really needs to work on his location, it's been pretty bad all year.
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