Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

[Yankees2009Champs]

Ok I realize this might be taken as venting but I cannot for the life of me pitch with Mariano Rivera and need some help. This guy has the best ratings for a closer and yet I give up extra base hits like his name is Bob Wickman.

Today I go in there against the A's playing my franchise game. 3-0 Yankees, time to call in Rivera for the ninth. Comes in to Metallica, man I'm ready to go but lets get in some warm up pitches to make sure his pitches all have high confidence. Boom, OK, ready to pitch. Check his confidence, over 3/4. First batter, Josh Willingham, great hitter, got to be careful, A.I. says go with a high cutter at shoulders level. Now I've already heard to ignore the A.I. catcher because the A.I. hitter is usually looking in those places. High cutter sounds stupid, that's his hot zone. So, first pitch I decide on a low cutter, inside, and in his cold zone and he promptly laughs in my face and takes it out of the park for a HR. One pitch, see ya Mo. Boone Logan comes in and gets the save.

I realize Rivera can have some bad days but let me post his stats for me in 2011 thus far:

44 GM, 1-4 W/L, 4.05 E.R.A., 32 SV, 6 Blown Saves, 21 Earned Runs and 7 HR in only 46 innings pitched.

Last year in the Show 10 with Rivera:
61 GM, 2-3 W/L, 3.81 E.R.A., 44 SV

So please somebody for the life of me tell me what am I doing wrong. This is a trend. I'm about to do the unthinkable and make David Robertson or Rafael Soriano the closer.

[dj will]

Well for me this has happened also that he has his bad days, but the trick that I did was that I turned off the catcher suggestions and I go with my own judgement, I avoid the AI's hotzones and I usually throw a lot of high inside cutters, this way their bats break, I guess the trick that I use is that I keep throwing cutters that go out of the strike zone and then finish them off with a low 2 seam.

I hope this can help you because I know exactly what you are talking about, everytime I have a 1 run game and I bring him in he always blows it, thats why I only use him when its a 2 run lead or 3

[Yankees2009Champs]

Quote: Originally Posted by dj will

Well for me this has happened also that he has his bad days, but the trick that I did was that I turned off the catcher suggestions and I go with my own judgement, I avoid the AI's hotzones and I usually throw a lot of high inside cutters, this way their bats break, I guess the trick that I use is that I keep throwing cutters that go out of the strike zone and then finish them off with a low 2 seam. I hope this can help you because I know exactly what you are talking about, everytime I have a 1 run game and I bring him in he always blows it, thats why I only use him when its a 2 run lead or 3

I'll definitly try that, but that's the kind of pitch Willingham crushed.

Is this how the greatest relief pitcher EVER is treated?

[Vashyron.]

At least for me, Mariano Rivera is one of the easiest pitchers to hit in the game because he's a one speed pitcher. I laugh at anyone that brings him in for a save in a close online game, I don't know how many times I've beaten the Yankees late over the years thanks to Rivera.

I would suggest mainly throwing the 2-seamers and cutters as the opposite movement might be able to mess up the CPU. I noticed both cutters and 2-seamers low in the zone are great overall pitches (use the 4-seamer when you wanna go up), 2-seamers low and in to righties are almost always money, same with 2-seamers low and away to lefties.

[dj will]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vashyron.

At least for me, Mariano Rivera is one of the easiest pitchers to hit in the game because he's a one speed pitcher. I laugh at anyone that brings him in for a save in a close online game, I don't know how many times I've beaten the Yankees late over the years thanks to Rivera. I would suggest mainly throwing the 2-seamers and cutters as the opposite movement might be able to mess up the CPU. I noticed both cutters and 2-seamers low in the zone are great overall pitches (use the 4-seamer when you wanna go up), 2-seamers low and in to righties are almost always money, same with 2-seamers low and away to lefties.

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

[Vashyron.]

Quote: Originally Posted by dj will

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

Sorry for contradicting your high cutter advice, but you can throw it low without good location and get away with it. You can throw it pretty much at any height with good horizontal location where it just breaks out of (or into) the strike zone. I rarely go for the front door with breaking pitches because I'm not confident enough to throw them as I'm afraid I'll miss over the plate.

[Based Doc]

Quote: Originally Posted by dj will

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

One thing might be to set everything to legend and go against rivera. See how the CPU uses him. As the other poster suggested, go with 2-seam/cutter low and then fling a 95mph heater up high. Been struck out by him many a time with that combo.

[The Frankman]

One speed hard throwers the CPU will eat up. It's easier for the CPU to lock in on your timing and with harder throwers usually having limited movement on their pitchers it's a struggle. I use Bobby Parnell in the 8th and his ERA is nearing 5 as a result of using alot of fastballs initially with him. Also keep into account the CPU late-inning AI keys into suspected patterns much quicker to the point of guessing, so it's easier if you can fool them by throwing off their timing.

It's nuts, it's easier to use Jason Isringhausen than Parnell as my closer.