NEW YORK (AP) — Indians backup catcher Kelly Shoppach was behind the plate for many of Paul Byrd’s starts this season, and manager Eric Wedge stuck with that tandem in Game 4 of the division series.
It paid off. Byrd allowed two runs over five-plus innings Monday night, earning the win in a 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees that sent Cleveland to the AL championship series.
“He did what he’s done all year — attack the strike zone, got ahead,” Shoppach said. “I felt like going into the game, with a patient lineup like they have, he’d be able to get out there and throw strike one and take advantage of what they do so well, which is work the pitcher. He just really went right at them.”
Shoppach also came through at the plate in the No. 9 spot, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run.
“There’s nothing more important than your starting pitcher. And they’ve been together all year,” Wedge said before the game. “It’s a relationship that, we put them together early on and they had some success. Like any other relationship, you stick with it if it works. And that’s what we’ve done.”
Regular catcher Victor Martinez shifted to first base, taking Ryan Garko’s bat out of the lineup. Garko went 4-for-11 (.364) with a home run and three RBIs in the first three games of the series against the New York Yankees. He also scored three times.
“Victor’s a good first baseman. Very good first baseman. Very comfortable. Enjoys being out there,” Wedge said. “The flip side is that Garko’s not in there. But he’ll be available for us, if and when we need him.”
During the regular season, Garko batted .289 with 21 homers, 29 doubles and 61 RBIs. Shoppach hit .261 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 161 at-bats.
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COOKING CLASS: Colorado right-hander Aaron Cook is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list for the NL championship series against Arizona.
Depending on how he does Wednesday in an Instructional League game in Tucson, Ariz., Cook could be ready to pitch Game 4 at Coors Field on Oct. 15.
“He’s been the guy that all through the first three-quarters of the year we leaned on big-time for innings and he went out there and gave us a chance to win every time out,” said pitcher Josh Fogg, who might get bumped from the rotation if Cook is added to the NLCS roster.
Cook, who edged out Jeff Francis in a spirited competition for the opening-day start this season, was 8-7 with a 4.12 ERA when he was felled by an oblique injury Aug. 10.
“To lose a guy like that was tough for us,” Fogg said. “He was kind of our anchor. Jeff was the No. 1 guy down the stretch, but Cookie was the guy you always knew you were going to get seven, eight innings out of him.”
Cook said he’s healthy and doesn’t expect to be rusty, “but there are a lot of other factors that go into me coming off the DL and being on the roster: The way guys have been pitching, what they want to do.”
He said he’d even be willing to work in relief.
“I’ll do whatever I’m asked. I’ve pitched in relief before. They know I’m ready to do whatever,” Cook said.
Cook, who threw 75 pitches without pain Friday in Tucson, where his sinker was sharp, said he’d fit right back into the rotation behind Francis and rookies Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales.
“I’ll have my arm strength, and my side’s not hurting. I’ve got complete confidence. I’ve played these guys plenty,” said Cook, who was 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA in four starts against the Diamondbacks this season.
Fogg was much better against Arizona, going 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts, which certainly will factor into the decision.
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OCTOBER CHILL: Derek Jeter is usually at his best in October. Not this year.
The Yankees captain went 3-for-17 (.176) with four strikeouts and one RBI in New York’s first-round playoff loss to Cleveland. He also grounded into three double plays and made a bad throw from shortstop that cost his team a run in Game 3, though the play was scored a hit.
Jeter was coming off a typically solid regular season. He batted .322 with 12 homers, 39 doubles, 73 RBIs, 102 runs and 15 stolen bases. But he was hampered down the stretch by a sore knee, and manager Joe Torre made it a point to rest him a couple of times — something Jeter doesn’t like.
The 2000 World Series MVP, Jeter holds the career record for postseason hits (153) and runs scored (85). He failed to score a run against the Indians.
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TUNING IN: The number of viewers watching the first round of the playoffs was up 18 percent from last year.
TBS averaged 5.4 million viewers per game through Sunday, up from 4.5 million last year on Fox, ESPN and ESPN2. The number of households increased 12 percent.
The Yankees’ 8-4 victory over Cleveland in Game 3 on Sunday night averaged 8.5 million viewers, the high thus far. The other three series ended in sweeps.
Ratings could take a hit in the next round following the first-round elimination of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.
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AP Sports Writers Arnie Stapleton, Ronald Blum and Jay Cohen contributed to this report.
Source: www.sportingnews.com
