MEMO to the Central Thought Police & other MLB & espn thought types---Please be advised, "MO SAVES YANKS."

Closes out Howard and Phillies

BY SAM BORDEN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Mariano Rivera (l.) and Alex Rodriguez celebrate the Yankees' victory. PHILADELPHIA - All Joe Torre wanted was a little peace on a night full of insanity. Pitchers had been on a revolving door to the mound ever since Mike Mussina came out after five innings, and now that the Yankees finally had grabbed the lead, Torre wasn't taking any more chances. It was the eighth inning? So what. Mariano Rivera trotted in from the bullpen and closed out a manic 9-7 victory over the Phillies last night in fitting fashion - he retired Ryan Howard, who'd already blasted two homers and a triple, on a weak ground ball to second for the final out of the game. "Get him out," Rivera said when asked how he approached the ninth-inning showdown. "That's it. Just get him out. I ain't going to run. I want to face the guy, the best." Howard certainly was that last night, driving in all of his team's runs. But he couldn't beat the Yanks on his own as eight Bombers recorded RBI to help the Yanks snap a three-game losing streak.

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