Before Damaso Marte gave up a walkoff homer to Kevin Youkilis in the 11th inning to give the Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Yankees last night at Fenway Park, Mariano Rivera accepted responsibility after giving up a tying two-run shot to Jason Bay in the ninth.
But before Rivera's 1-0 pitch to Bay - a 92-mile-per-hour cutter - landed in the Monster seats near the line of demarcation in left-center, the famed Yankees closer tried his best to keep it in the park by using a little body English. OK, a lot of body English. ``Yeah, I wanted to keep it in the park,'' Rivera said, managing a weak smile. ``But it didn't work.''
Rivera could have done a samba on the mound and it wouldn't have prevented him from blowing his first save since Aug. 12 at Minnesota. Certainly, it had to come as a shock to everyone wearing pinstripes.
``Yeah, it is, because he's been so great for so long,'' said New York manager Joe Girardi. ``It's Baseball and it's what this series is all about. I think at the point where they hit the home run, he was just around 20 or 22 pitches. He's fine to do that.''
Rivera's appearance resulted in his 12th career blown save against Boston, his most against any team.
``When you see him come in, it's not exactly a confidence-booster, but we've got a lot of at-bats against him,'' said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. ``I don't know if that's good or not.''
Last night, that familiarity proved to be a good thing.
The Yankees had to like their chances when Rivera came bounding out of the bullpen with two outs in the eighth to relieve Jonathan Albaladejo, who had one strike on Jacoby Ellsbury.
``Yeah, of course, I mean, you're giving the ball to the best who's ever done it,'' said Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain, who allowed two runs (one earned) on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings before handing the baton to lefthander Phil Coke. ``We're all human beings and we understand that. It's just the way the game goes. They've got a great lineup and they continued to battle and claw and do the things they needed to do.''
Asked if he was prepared to come into the game after Ellsbury had started his at-bat against Albaladejo, Rivera replied, ``They told me and I was preparing myself for that.''
Rivera allowed a single to Ellsbury before striking out Pedroia to end the inning. After righthanded reliever Brian Bruney was sent back to New York yesterday for tests on what Girardi termed ``a little cranky elbow,'' the Yankees were left with no recourse but for Rivera to submit his longest appearance of the season: 1 1/3 innings.
``He was ready and we decided to bring him in,'' said Girardi. ``Mo was one out away from closing this game and it's unfortunate, but it's still one game.''
One Rivera felt was decided on one pitch - to Bay in the ninth.
``I just made a bad pitch,'' Rivera said, describing the offering he tried to throw low and away, but wound up leaving high in the strike zone. ``That's all that is. I don't know if Bruney's going to be fine or what, but we have to do our job and I think we're capable of doing that and we just have to go out and do it.''
Michael Vega can be reached at vega @globe.com.
