Yanks 7, Nats 5

Followed this one via ESPN.com, so only a few observations.

1. When Bernie Williams came to bat in the ninth, I switched to another page. You know, tempting fate. Go ahead, make me miss something wonderful. Come back to ESPN; so he did. Home run.

2. The amazing mystical Rivera run continues. Tonight: 5 batters, 5 outs, 17 pitches.

Update: There is the very real possibility that Mariano Rivera will ascend to the Hall of Fame without one Cy Young Award, without one MVP award. Bruce Sutter and Dennis Eckersley proceed him; both wqon the Cy Young, Eck his MVP. Rollie Fingers had 1981, CY and MVP both. Looking backward, is there any doubt that Rivera deserved at least two Cy Youngs (1996, 2005), and one MVP (2005--apologies to Big Papi and A-Rod)?

When we make out the all-time varsity (nine position players, two starters, one reliever), the choices will be that much clearer from history. Four no-doubters will be in place: Ruth (of), Gehrig (1B), Johnson (rhp), Rivera (rp).

That's what we have here.