With the game tied at 5, Mariano took the mound to preserve the lead so that Jeter, Damon, and Tex could win it in the bottom of the 9th.
Mariano did not preserve the lead. On the contrary. He got hammered (and that did not involve tequila...I'm talking about getting hammered by the Rays).
So let's talk about Mariano. We're deep enough into the season now to be able to determine whether he is slipping.
Let's start with yesterday's performance. Zobrist, Dillon, Upton, and Crawford all had hits against him. With runner-advancing outs, an intentional walk, and an error by A-Rod, the Rays had put 4 on the board before the inning was over. Mariano did not look good, especially in his walk to the dugout before he could get the third out.
After 23 innings pitched, Mariano's ERA, WHIP, and Opponents' BBA are all career highs. He's having the worst year of his career (so far) since he became a closer.
What does this mean? Well, it means...he's having the worst year of his career as a closer.
The good news is, the Yankees still have around 100 games left to play. Mariano still has around 50 innings to pitch. And I don't know about you, but I'm not worried. He has looked dominant at times this year at 39, and he was plenty dominant last year.
And, after all, he is still Mariano.
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