Yankees bullpen shuts down Mets

NEW YORK - Mariano Rivera isn't the only guy in the New York Yankees bullpen. The rest of Joe Torre's relief corps also came through in Saturday night's World Series Game 1 victory over the New York Mets.

Rivera had his customary two shutout innings but he was surrounded by good work from Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton, who completed the game as the Yankees won in 12, 4-3.

''As a whole, we try and go out and get outs,'' Stanton said. ''The guys in front of me did a great job. All you can do is go out and make as many pitches as you can and put up zeros.''

Torre said Stanton's shutout innings in the 11th and 12th were vital.

''He did the same thing for us in Oakland in Game 5 (of the division series),'' the manager said. ''He's done it numerous times. To go through their right-handed hitters ... he went out there and threw strikes. It was huge.''

From the time Nelson came on in the seventh inning, the Mets managed just two hits against the Yankee bullpen, an infield single by Edgardo Alfonzo that drove in the go-ahead run in that inning and a double by Kurt Abbott that got Rivera in hot water in the ninth.

Other than that, there was nothing.

Nelson worked 1 1-3 innings. Rivera pitched two, striking out three batters and Stanton added two with three strikeouts to get the win.

''I don't know if I can say it was the best I've ever done, but I can't say it wasn't,'' Stanton said. ''It has to be right up there.

''I've always said to be successful in the bullpen, you've got to be able to simplify the situation,'' he said. ''You still have to throw, catch and hit the ball, stay within yourself and throw quality pitches.''

Ironically, only Rivera had any problem.

The Yankees' closer had stretched the record postseason scoreless streak to 33 1-3 innings through the American League championship series, breaking Whitey Ford's mark of 33 innings. Then he gave up a run in the pennant clincher against Seattle, a development that hardly disturbed him.

''It was going to end sooner or later,'' he said.

After pitching a scoreless ninth in that game, he blanked the Mets on Saturday

It wasn't all that easy.

Rivera got into big trouble in the ninth. With the Mets leading 3-2, he hit Todd Pratt with a pitch. Then, Kurt Abbott doubled over right fielder Paul O'Neill's head, giving the Mets two runners in scoring position.

Rivera wouldn't buckle. He got Timo Perez on a bouncer to second that kept Pratt anchored at third base and then struck out Alfonzo, who had driven in the go-ahead run two innings earlier.

The insurance runs didn't score, and that became vital when the Yankees pushed across the tying run in the bottom of the ninth against Mets closer Armando Benitez.

Rivera sailed through the Mets in the 10th, striking out Mike Pizza and Todd Zeile, the 3-4 hitters in the lineup, before turning the game over to Stanton.

Now his new scoreless streak is at three innings and counting.

Could Rivera be back in Game 2?

''I don't know,'' he said. ''If adrenaline runs well, I'll be there.''