Jake Westbrook returns to mound as Cleveland Indians beat Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2

Westbrook helps Indians beat Diamondbacks 3-2

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jake Westbrook allowed a run and three walks in 1 2-3 innings in his first game against major-league hitters since May 2008, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 on Monday.

Westbrook said he felt strong and was encouraged by his first outing since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He allowed a single, hit a batter and struck out one.

“I felt great,” he said. “I didn’t throw as well as I would’ve liked, but I felt strong and that might have one of the reasons for that. It’s just a matter of remembering how to pitch and getting better.”

Westbrook is expected to be the Indians’ Opening Day starter. Last season, he was expected to return around the All-Star break, but suffered setbacks and threw in three minor-league games.

“I was excited and anxious and nervous to get back into throwing against big-league guys again, so that played a little part in it as well. Kind of all over the place,” he said.

In the first inning, he hit Ryan Roberts with a pitch with one out and walked Justin Upton, but he got out of the inning by striking out Adam LaRoche and getting Chris Young to fly out.

“I definitely have a lot of work to get back into and most of it is trying to figure out my mechanics again and getting that muscle memory down where I don’t have to think about it anymore,” Westbrook said. “With bullpens and more outings, that’ll come and get better with every outing.”

In the second, Westbrook walked Gerardo Parra and Brandon Allen, and Tony Abreu drove in a run with a single.

“Watching him come back from that is good,” Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said about Westbrook. “He lives on the edge. He can sink it and cut it and he throws a lot of groundballs.”

Cleveland’s Michael Brantley fell a home run short of the cycle, going 3 for 4 with an RBI.

Rodrigo Lopez, a candidate for the Arizona rotation’s fifth spot, allowed a run and struck out two in two innings.

“I just try to concentrate on my job, be good every time I go out there, improve game by game,” Lopez said. “I try to control what I can control.”

Clay Zavada (0-1) allowed two runs, both unearned, in the fifth for a blown save.

NOTES: Arizona’s Brandon Webb played catch Monday and felt fine, but the team has not set a date for his next bullpen session. Hinch wouldn’t rule out Webb pitching in the Cactus League around the middle of the month, but didn’t want to set any deadlines for Webb, who underwent shoulder surgery in August.