Mariano Rivera set to take closing bow as the Yankees miss play-offs
The end came quietly for this year's New York Yankees. No celebrations. No titles. No October baseball. Curtis Granderson was batting in the eighth inning when the Cleveland Indians completed a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. That meant the Yankees were mathematically eliminated from post-season contention in the middle of the season's final week, even before they finished an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The end came quietly for this year's New York Yankees. No celebrations. No titles. No October baseball.
Curtis Granderson was batting in the eighth inning when the Cleveland Indians completed a 7-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. That meant the Yankees were mathematically eliminated from post-season contention in the middle of the season's final week, even before they finished an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was the first time they failed to make October since 2008 and only the second time in 19 years. Mariano Rivera will be in the bullpen for his final game at Yankee Stadium in a regular-season game with nothing at stake, rather than on the post-season stage where he solidified his credentials as the greatest relief pitcher in the game's history.
"I'll be there for the fans. They deserve it," Rivera, 43, said. "But it don't mean anything. I'm not used to pitching for something that doesn't mean anything. I wanted to pitch for something that means something."
Evan Longoria homered twice as the Rays won their sixth straight and lowered their magic number over Texas to three for clinching an American League wild-card berth.
Slowed by age and hobbled by injury, the Yankees (82-76) failed to claim one of the 10 play-offs berths despite baseball's highest opening-day payroll at US$230 million.