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Mariano Rivera blows opener, Yankees fall to Rays

RAYS 7
YANKEES 6

For 15 years Mariano Rivera has established himself as the greatest closer in the game of baseball. While there is no doubt he still has something left in the tank at age 42, Rivera's opening day was alarming. Blowing a 6-5 lead and giving up two runs as the Rays sped past the Yankees, Rivera cost New York a chance at opening the season on a winning note.

The disastrous inning was alarming because Rivera has been so good for so long; now fans will wonder how much he has left. While not time to panic, after all it's only one blown save, but for it to come on the grand stage of the first game of the year is all that more surprising.

Rivera's cutter wasn't cutting; in fact, it stayed up when Ben Zobrist nailed a game-tying triple to get things moving for Tampa Bay. Then Joe Girardi did something that was pure mystery: He told Rivera to not only walk Evan Longoria, but he told him to walk Luke Scott too, loading the bases in the hope of securing a play at the plate. With no one out and bases loaded, the Yankees were in a no win situation, yet Rivera was able to strike out Sean Rodriguez and moved to two strikes on the next batter, Carlos Pena. Could Rivera pull this one out? No. Pena cracked into one to deep left-center for the game winning single, lifting the Rays to victory.

For Rivera, it was his worst Opening Day ever, and his second blown save in his last 62 attempts against Tampa Bay.

To make matters worse, CC Sabathia looked awful for the Yankees. The starter gave up a grand slam to Pena in the first inning that put the Yankees in a 4-0 hole, and, later, gave up a solo shot to Longoria to cut the Yankees lead to 6-5. Sabathia, who had a terrible spring training, didn't have it in the opener, and there needs to be concern about him as well. The Yankees' rotation is fragile at best, with unreliable Hiroki Kuroda, Phil Hughes and Freddy Gracia manning spots behind Sabathia. The team needs CC to pitch well just about any time he steps to the mound. Friday's performance, like Rivera's, was alarming.

The only good thing to happen to New York on Friday was Raul Ibanez's three run homer, giving the Yankees an early lead; other than that, the Yankees pitching woes are starting to catch up with them out of the gate.

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