Less than 12 months ago, Jake Cousins ​​found himself floundering with the Triple-A Space Cowboys after being designated for assignment, cleared on waivers and sent straight to the minors by the Astros. Within a season, he transformed into a high-leverage reliever with some of the best swing-and-miss techniques in the Yankees' bullpen, right on the doorstep of the World Series. The biggest moment of his career came in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the ALCS, so let's see how it turns out.

José Ramírez enters the penalty area and takes the ball out of the penalty area. He may have slumped to this point in the playoffs, but he remained the scariest hitter in the Guardians' lineup. Cousins ​​has already beaten Kyle Manzardo to finish seventh, but this is a much different test than a rookie playing in his first postseason.

Cousins' best pitch is the slider and it is one of the best in the game, with a staggering 47.5 percent strikeout rate, a 47.2 percent whiff rate and the 10th-most horizontal movement of any slider in baseball, tipping one over half a foot more than the average slider. He uses it with almost the same extreme confidence that Tommy Kahnle did with his changeup, willing to use it in any area and in any part of the zone. It's no surprise that he started this AB with one.

Cousins ​​tries to backdoor the slider open for a called strike one, but launches it a little too far outside the zone for the move to get it back over the plate. However, it is important to note that Ramírez resigned on the court almost immediately after the hand and Cousins ​​discarded this for immediate use.

Since Ramírez gave up on the pitch that started outside the zone, Cousins ​​has free rein to attack the outside edge for so-called strikes.

He tries this with that elevated sinker, but the pitch is probably half a ball too high to merit the strike call.

Trailing 2-0 against one of the game's most dangerous hitters leading an inning is not what you want. They say leadoff walks by relievers are killers, and Cousins ​​certainly can't afford that outcome with the game tied, one inning left, and the batting portion of the Guardians lineup coming up. Cousins ​​sticks to his plan to throw Ramírez away and perfectly executes the slider he was going to throw on the first pitch.

Notice again how Ramírez watches the ball all the way into the glove and at no point is tempted to offer anything on the pitch.

Austin Wells throws the exact same target as the previous throw, hoping that Cousins ​​has now given his order to repeat the previous slider's delivery.

Cousins ​​misses his spot, but does so in a relatively safe place. Ramírez can only deflect the slider as it falls below the zone.

Cousins ​​did well to use the batter's count leverage in his own favor. It looks like Ramírez doesn't see the slider well when he's making throws in the zone for called strikes and chasing one out of the zone, so Cousins ​​and Wells tell that hitter to free himself by hitting one throws another strike.

Goodness, cousins, be glad that ball didn't land on the seats. He leaves a snag right over the middle of the plate, but fortunately Ramírez is too eager with his swing and pulls it into a foul. That's the danger the slider poses to a hitter with the same quality as Ramírez. If you miss your attempt to throw a back door, it usually ends up on Broadway, and if you don't fully complete the back foot slider, it can get stuck right in a lefty's wheelhouse.

Perhaps Cousins ​​senses that Ramírez is on the verge of adjusting his timing to the slider because he changes speed back to the sinker.

Cousins ​​attempts to steal a front door called a strike three, but the pitch is ball high all the way to the plate, allowing Ramírez to throw an easy strike to force a full count.

Cousins ​​has both sinkers sailed high and on the arm side and perhaps feels the slider is the best way to avoid the step.

That's the best part of the encounter, he gets stuck on the inside corner until he turns sharply towards Ramírez at the last second. The break is just late enough to get Ramírez to hunt, and it's his turn to get lucky and catch a piece to stay alive.

Now that Cousins ​​​​Ramírez has made it clear that he will not back down and is not afraid to throw his slider in a three-ball count, he is perfectly prepared for the sinker.

In fact, Ramírez still has his timing set on the slider and is late as he whiffs through that increased heater for the strikeout. That's the beauty of the large velocity difference between your fastball and your primary secondary – the change in velocity is enough to fool a hitter, even if you don't have razor-sharp command.

Here is the full sequence:

He may not be flawless in the postseason, but Cousins ​​has given the Yankees some big outs that they wouldn't be where they are without. As he proved by striking out the Guardians' three most dangerous batters in the eighth inning of a tied game, he has the strikeout stuff and the steely mentality to neutralize any section of any lineup. His performances alongside players like Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. were the unsung heroes of the ALCS, and the fact that the trio showed the courage to fight for the highest leverage positions of the postseason took a lot of pressure off of Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle put the Yankees bullpen in an encouraging position heading into the World Series.