At the time, Boston was perhaps the only team to have a relative degree of success against Rivera. During the regular season from 2000-04, he was 5-4 with an un-Rivera-like 3.66 ERA and only 17 saves in 24 opportunities against the Sox. The future Hall of Famer gave up 44 hits and 12 walks in just 39 1/3 innings vs. Boston during that span, an unsightly stretch for a guy with a career WHIP of 1.00.
For whatever reason, perhaps because of the familiarity Red Sox hitters had with Rivera, the Yankee superstar was never at his best when facing his chief rivals. So, when the rallies came in Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS and Rivera was on the mound when the tying runs scored, it was not shocking. Dramatic? Yes. Shocking? No.
(It should be noted that Rivera only gave up one run on three hits in four innings of work those two days at Fenway, but the one run tied Game 4 and he also allowed an inherited runner to score the equalizer in Game 5.)
Prior to 2000, Rivera was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA and nine saves in 10 chances against the Red Sox, but at some point in the meetings things changed. Sure, there were better hitters in the Boston lineup in the early part of the decade as opposed to the late '90s. That's a big part of it.
However, to anyone who watched Rivera's save attempts vs. Boston as the decade dragged on and the rivalry intensified, it was clear he was not an automatic.
It is this sort of pattern which may give the Texas Rangers an extra dose of confidence entering the ALCS vs. the Yankees.
From 2004-09, Rivera was 1-1 with a 1.48 ERA against the Rangers, converting 14 of 15 save chances and striking out 21 men while walking only two. In short, he was his usual dominant self.
That run of dominance continued with a clean save against Texas in Yankee Stadium back on April 18, but since then it's been a back-and-forth struggle.
Rivera retired just one man while giving up three singles, including one to David Murphy with the bases loaded, to lose a game in extra innings in Texas on Aug. 10. He picked up the save the very next night, but only after giving up a leadoff triple in a one-run game to Elvis Andrus.
When the Yankees invaded Arlington again in the middle of September, Rivera pitched two scoreless innings in another extra-inning loss before sustaining perhaps his worst blown save of the year in the midst of a three-game Texas sweep the very next night, Sept. 11.
After Alex Rodriguez gave New York a 6-5 lead with a three-run double in the top of the eighth and Kerry Wood did his job for the Bombers in the bottom half, Rivera was called upon to start the home half of the ninth.
Vladimir Guerrero led off by drawing a walk on five pitches. It was just the 32nd walk of the season for the free-swinging Guerrero, his first in a span of 14 games and the 10th all year issued by Rivera. We know how leadoff walks, however rare, can tend to ignite turnarounds vs. Rivera (see Millar, Kevin and Roberts, Dave).
Nelson Cruz then singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. A double by Ian Kinsler tied it and, after an intentional walk to load the bases and a weak pop to first base, Rivera hit Jeff Francoeur with a pitch to force in the winning run.
Rivera stood with his hands on his hips and simply stared in at home plate, a domain he has mastered over the years but failed to control on more than one occasion vs. Texas this year. The Rangers handed him two of his three losses on the season and although the sample size is small, his 5.79 ERA and 2.14 WHIP vs. Texas in 2010 were easily the worst figures he had against any opponent.
Additionally, the Rangers' expected lineup in Game 1 of the ALCS is a collective 21-for-60 (.350) against Rivera.
Rangers third baseman Michael Young, who is a .318 (7-for-22) batter vs. the All-Star closer, was asked about beating Rivera on a hit batsman after the rally on Sept. 11.
"That's a first for me," Young said. "I'm pretty sure I won't see it again."
Well, that's probably what the Red Sox said when they began to put together those first few comebacks vs. Rivera nearly a decade ago, and look what that led to.
With a guy as good as Rivera, you have to start somewhere. The Rangers may have already had that start.
