'Devastated, tired, sad'

Rivera attends funeral, arrives at Yankee Stadium in second inning

Mariano Rivera got the save after arriving at the stadium in the second inning. AP

PUERTO CAIMITO, Panama -- Mariano Rivera stepped off a jet from Panama after the funeral of two relatives and raced to Yankee Stadium in plenty of time to pitch, if needed, in Game 1 against the Red Sox in the AL championship series Tuesday night.

The star reliever arrived at the ballpark just before 9 p.m. EDT, midway through the second inning, with the Yankees already up 2-0.

By the fifth inning, he was in the bullpen, where he was embraced by teammates and coaches and loudly cheered by fans. By then, the Yankees were up 6-0 and didn't look as though they would need him later on.

The private jet carrying the closer left Panama City at about 3:30 p.m. EDT and landed at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey just over four hours later. A New York City police cruiser escorted his car to the stadium.

Rivera wept, sang and prayed at the funeral in Puerto Caimito, Panama, his hometown about 40 miles from Panama City.

The cousin of Rivera's wife, Clara, died along with his 14-year-old son Saturday at Rivera's house. Officials said Victor Dario Avila and his son were electrocuted, apparently when electrical cable fell into the water as the younger Avila was in the pool and his father tried to save him.

"I appreciate the support I have been given," he told The Associated Press before leaving for the airport. "Life continues and I have to attend to my work."

Rivera first visited the house where a vigil was held, then rode with Avila's wife in a funeral procession of about 100 people along a gravel street to the Evangelical church.

There, in a building he had helped build, Rivera sang fervently and, standing alongside his wife, raised his hands in prayer.

Rivera's wife told the packed funeral crowd that she had learned of the deaths during the fifth inning of Saturday's game that clinched New York's first-round victory over the Minnesota Twins.

"It was a tough moment, but I know that at this moment, Victor and his son are at the side of God, there where I would like to be," she said.

Rivera then attended the burial under a hot sun at the town cemetery, where he exchanged greetings with townsfolk amid the wood crosses.

"Good luck against Boston," said Carlos Hernandez, who said he had driven from the capital to greet Rivera.

With his return to Yankee Stadium, Rivera made sure manager Joe Torre would be able to call on the pitcher widely regarded as the best at his position in postseason history.

Rivera saved a postseason-record 23 straight games beginning with the first of three straight championships in 1998 and ending in Game 7 of the 2001 Series. He has failed to close out a game only three times in 33 postseason opportunities, including Game 2 of the division series against Minnesota last Wednesday night.