NEW YORK -- Mariano Rivera said goodbye to Yankee Stadium with hugs, tears and cheers.
Baseball's most acclaimed relief pitcher made an emotional exit in his final appearance in the Yankees' home pinstripes, when captain Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte came to the mound to remove him with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.
"It's time to go," Jeter appeared to tell Rivera.
During four minutes of thunderous chanting from the sellout crowd 48,675, an overcome Rivera sobbed as he buried his head on the right shoulder of Pettitte, who also is retiring when the season ends Sunday. Pettitte gave Rivera and 30-second bear hug, and Jeter followed with a 15-second embrace.
Rivera, who turns 44 in November, said he had trouble controlling himself on the mound during the ninth inning for the first time since he left Panama and embarked on a professional baseball career in 1990 (see full recap).
For more on Rivera, read how the closer could finish his career in center field.
Profar's pinch-hit HR lifts Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Pinch-hitter Jurickson Profar homered leading off the ninth inning, and the Texas Rangers overcame a four-error inning to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Thursday night to keep pace in the playoff chase.
The Rangers started the day a game behind Cleveland for the second wild-card spot in the American League. The Indians beat Minnesota 6-5 on Thursday.
It was the fourth straight time the Rangers have beaten the Angels on a walk-off homer at home. They did it each time in a three-game sweep in late July (see full recap).
Indians hold off Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- Reliever Joe Smith struck out pinch-hitter Oswaldo Arcia to stop a ninth-inning rally and the Cleveland Indians won their seventh straight game, holding off the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Thursday night to keep their edge in the AL wild-card race.
The Twins scored four runs in the ninth and had runners on first and second before Smith got the final out.
Cleveland leads Texas by one game for the second wild-card spot. Each team has three games left in the regular season. Tampa Bay is on top in the chase, one game ahead of the Indians (see full recap).