Credit Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte with the save Thursday night.  Mariano Rivera made the final Yankee Stadium appearance of his Hall of Fame career in the Bombers’ home finale, but it wasn’t the four outs he recorded that will be remembered for eternity.  Instead, it was the sight of Rivera crying uncontrollably on the mound while embracing his two Core Four teammates, who had been sent out by Joe Girardi with two outs in the ninth to make the pitching change that signaled the end of an era in the Bronx. “They both came to get me out and I was thankful they came out,” Rivera said. “I needed them there and they were there.”  PHOTOS: STANDING MO FOR RIVERA IN FINAL BRONX GAME  Despite the fact that the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Rays marked the first meaningless final home game of the season for the club since 1993, the sellout crowd of 48,675 will have plenty to remember from the night.  From Rivera’s Bleacher Creature roll call to the endless chants of “Ma-ri-a-no!” all game long, it was clear that the closer was going to be the centerpiece of an otherwise mundane evening.  Even then, nobody had any idea of what was yet to come. With Tampa Bay leading by four runs after scoring twice in the eighth, Girardi brought in Rivera with one out and runners at first and second.  Rivera jogged in from the bullpen as a recording of Bob Sheppard announced his entrance. The crowd stood and applauded — as did the Rays, who emerged from their dugout to give the closer a standing ovation of their own.  RELATED: YANKEES INSIDER: HEADING TO HOUSTON, MO MAY PLAY CF  “Amazing,” Rivera said of his opponents’ reaction. “It has been happening the whole year.”  Rivera retired Delmon Young on a fly ball to left, then snagged Sam Fuld’s comebacker and threw to first, stranding the two runners.  Although the Yankees went down meekly in their half of the eighth, the Stadium was electric with anticipation of one final inning from the beloved Rivera, who spent the time between innings trying to keep his composure in the trainers’ room.  “After the eighth inning, I knew I was going back for the last time,” Rivera said. “It was a totally different feeling. . . . All the flashbacks from the minor leagues to the big leagues all the way to this moment. It was a little hard. I was able to compose myself and come back out.”  RELATED: THE GREAT RIVERA BIDS BRONX ADIEU  As it turned out, Girardi gave Rivera only two more outs, having come up with the idea of having Jeter and Pettitte make the pitching change, although he first had to check with the umpires to see if a player was allowed to make such a move.  “I started thinking about it in the eighth inning,” Girardi said. “I figured, if they say yes to one, I’ll push it and I’ll ask for two. It was nice that Mike Winters, the crew chief said, ‘OK, let it happen.’  “I really appreciate that because I think it made the moment even more special for Mo. Two guys that have been linked to him a long time, came up through the minor leagues, have been through a lot together. I think it made the moment even more special.”  Rivera grinned as he saw his two longtime teammates signaling to the bullpen, but the 43-year-old was overcome with emotion once they arrived at the mound.  RELATED: REPORT: CANO SEEKING RECORD-SETTING 10-YEAR, $305M MEGADEAL  “I was bombarded with emotions and feelings that I couldn’t describe,” Rivera said. “Everything hit at that time. I knew that that was the last time, period. I never felt something like that before.”  Rivera hugged Pettitte tightly and shed plenty of tears, then hugged Jeter as he continued to cry. The crowd chanted Rivera’s name as he walked back to the dugout, tipping his cap the whole way.  “I didn’t expect for him to be quite so emotional,” Pettitte said. “He broke down and just gave me a bear hug, and I just bear-hugged him back. He was really crying. He was weeping. I could feel him crying on me.”  “We’ve been through everything together,” Jeter said. “I’m just happy he was able to go out like this. What the fans did for him this whole home stand was awesome. I’m grateful I’ve been his teammate for parts of 21 years.”  RELATED: YANKEES INSIDER: HEADING TO HOUSTON, MO MAY PLAY CF  Girardi — with tears in his own eyes — greeted Rivera with a hug at the dugout, followed by bench coach Tony Pena and pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Rivera made his way through the dugout and hugged every one of his teammates, all of whom were standing and applauding.  Rivera came out for a curtain call — something the fans would later get Pettitte to do as they chanted his name as the top of the ninth came to an end — soaking in every last moment.  “It definitely was a magical moment,” Rivera said before correcting himself. “I won’t call it magical; I would call it blessed. I’ve had an opportunity to play for 19 years and give the best of my talents and my ability to this organization. Tonight, it paid off.”  Rivera sat alone in the Yankees’ dugout at the end of the game, seemingly unwilling to let the night end. He finally rose to his feet and came back on to the field, surrounded by a throng of cameras before making a final trip to the mound, where he crouched down and collected some dirt as a memento.  “I wanted to get some dirt and stand there for the last time,” Rivera said. “Knowing I’m not going to be there no more, especially pitching — maybe throwing a first pitch one year, one day, competing, I won’t be there no more, so that little time that I was there was special for me. Just me alone there.”
Sunday was a celebration of Mariano Rivera's career, complete with family, friends and former teammates. Thursday was a different type of night for the Yankees' legendary closer.