Rivera holds off Red Sox rally to preserve Yankees win

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mariano Rivera held off a late Boston Red Sox rally to help the New York Yankees escape with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.

After scoring one run, Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth but the Yankees' decorated closer set down three straight batters to prevent his team from losing a third straight game in the four-game series .

"You usually don't see many innings like that from (Mariano)," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters, after watching his pitcher hit two batters en route to loading the bases.

"It's unusual but we got a chance again to see why (he's) so great."

The Yankees (46-42) had lost six of their last eight coming into the contest and have drawn criticism for their poor offensive outings. On Saturday, they were saved by veteran pitching.

Starter Mike Mussina went six scoreless innings, striking out five. Yankees' relievers Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth combined to pitch two perfect innings before Rivera took over.

Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis had an RBI single in the ninth to cut New York's lead to one.

However, with a chance to drive home the game-tying run, Coco Crisp struck out, Jason Varitek popped out and Julio Lugo went down swinging.

"We had an unbelievable opportunity to tie the game," Boston third baseman Mike Lowell said. "But Hall of Fame closers, I guess, have a knack for getting out of those."

It was Rivera's 23rd save of the year.

New York scored in the second inning on a Melky Cabrera RBI single. Left fielder Brett Gardner, filling in for injured leadoff man Johnny Damon, added a sacrifice-fly in the sixth.

Red Sox starter Justin Masterson pitched six innings, allowing two runs.

With the loss, Boston (52-38) fell four games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles Editing by John O'Brien)