And with one out in the top of the ninth, Rivera threw his final pitch at Yankee Stadium: an 89-mph cutter to Tampa Bay's Yunel Escobar.
Girardi sent out Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte to pull their longtime teammate from the game. (You can pinpoint the moment Rivera figures it out.)
Jeter said to him, "Hey! Time to go." And Rivera broke down immediately — and as did tens of thousands in attendance.
And he got very emotional as he walked off the Yankee Stadium mound one last time.
Pushed out of the dugout to one more curtain call, Rivera made his final salute to the fans.
Here's the entire scene, as Rivera bid adieu to the Bronx.
Via wapc.mlb.com
