Trevor Hoffman has company.  Mariano Rivera recorded his 601st career save in the Yankees’ 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday, tying him for the career saves mark. Rivera also has 42 postseason saves, that are not included in his career total.  Read more after the jump.
Hoffman retired last season after 18 seasons in the big leagues, recording 601 saves for three teams, the Marlins, Padres and Brewers, although 552 of his saves came with the Padres.
Rivera, 41, has recorded all 601 of his saves in a Yankee uniform, his first in 1996 and since then he’s recorded at least 30 saves in all but one season since.
One of the all-time great Yankees, Rivera began his career as a starter with the Yankees in 1995, but was a setup man to John Wetteland in 1996 before taking over as the closer in 1997, when he recorded 43 saves.
Rivera’s save on Saturday was his 42nd of the season, matching his uniform number. The Yankees took the lead in the seventh inning on Curtis Granderson’s 40th homer of the season before  Hector Noesi and Rafael Soriano pitched two scoreless innings to set up Rivera in the ninth inning.
Rivera struck out Colby Rasmus looking, got Brett Lawrie to ground out to first and Eric Thames to fly out to center to end the game and tie Hoffman.
Rivera and Hoffman are both well ahead of Lee Smith, who is third on the all-time list with 478 saves. John Franco is fourth with 424 and Billy Wagner, who like Hoffman retired after last season, is fifth with 422. After Rivera, the active pitcher with the most saves is Reds closer Francisco Cordero, who has 323 saves, good for 13th on the all-time list. The stat was not officially kept until 1969.
