Seven years ago, right-hander Jake Westbrook was part of a deal that helped the Yankees win a World Series title.
Nah, no heroic stuff there. Westbrook went to Cleveland in a package that brought David Justice, who recharged a sagging offense that helped the Yankees to the 2000 championship.
Now Westbrook can repay the Yankees in a different way. The sinker specialist can snuff the Yankees’ 2007 postseason run after three games when the Indians seek to complete an ALDS sweep tonight. Westbrook has tough acts to follow. Starters C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona and the Indians’ bullpen featuring Rafael Perez held the Yankees to a comatose .121 average (8-of-66). The Yankees are 1-of-19 (.053) against Tribe relievers.
Westbrook, the winner when Cleveland clinched the AL Central in a victory over Oakland, said he learned from Sabathia and Carmona in the first two games in terms of emotion and approach.
“Oh, yeah, definitely. Just kind of the way they handled everything,” said Westbrook, who had a dreadful start this season but was masterful in the second half (4-1 with a 1.90 ERA in August). “The way they handled their emotions. Kind of use that to my advantage here in Yankee Stadium. Hopefully I can take a little bit from that.”
Westbrook was 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA in a season that included a month-and-a-half stint on the disabled list with a left abdominal oblique strain. The keys to his game are inducing grounders – no pitcher in baseball produced more ground ball double plays since 2004 than his 109 – and getting ahead in the count, especially against a Yankees lineup usually renowned for patience.
“He started pitching ahead of the hitters,” catcher Victor Martinez said when asked about Westbrook’s in-season transformation from a 1-5 start.
The Yankees have had success against Westbrook. The current roster is 49-of-158 lifetime (.310) with seven home runs. Westbrook was 0-2 this season and is 2-4 in his career against the Yankees.
“One thing that New York will do is they’ll wait you out,” said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge, who still likes his chances tonight. “When Jake pitches the way he’s capable of pitching, he can beat anybody.”