A month into spring training, New York Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera made his 2011 debut Sunday by striking out the side against the Minnesota Twins, throwing nine strikes in 12 pitches. "He was Picasso out there today," said catcher Russell Martin, who was catching Rivera for the first time in a game. Rivera, 41, is allowed to work on his own timetable. He does not throw in the offseason anymore and only pitches briefly during the spring. Last year, he threw just six exhibition innings. Yankees manager Joe Girardi described Rivera's precision Sunday as "silly" after the Yankees' 9-2 loss to the Twins at Steinbrenner Field. "It felt great," Rivera said. "I can't complain." Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6213169
