The Yankees have Ben Rice on the bench with Paul Goldschmidt starting at first in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night.
are rolling with platoon advantages across their infield in Tuesday’s Wild Card Series opener against the Red Sox and lefty ace Garrett Crochet.José Caballero is in the lineup at third over Ryan McMahon.
In more ways than one, each of those decisions make complete sense. Crochet is a tough matchup for everybody, but he’s even more dominant historically against left-handed hitters.Rice has been one of the Yankees’ hottest hitters for much of the second half of the season. In his last 44 games of the regular season, Rice slashed .304/.365/.578 with 10 homers and 30 RBI. He went deep twice in Game 162 to finish the year with 26 homers. With the.304/.365/.578 with 10 HR, 30 RBI, 25 R, 10 2B and 16 BB Would you have him in the starting lineup tomorrow against Garrett Crochet in Game 1? Gotta figure Paul Goldschmidt will start at first…This lineup call shouldn’t come as a surprise. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday, during his club’s Wild Card Series workout, that Goldschmidt was expected to be in the lineup at first. Austin Wells was always going to be the Yankees’ starter behind the plate, not Rice. Still, there is a case to be made here to ride with the hot hand and give Rice as many at-bats in the playoffs as possible. As the summer went on this year, Goldschmidt’s numbers against lefties cooled down. Since June 1, he’s hitting .240 with a .690 OPS and 87 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Rice has a lower batting average against lefties , but he’s been better with slug and pop . And that’s for someone who was rarely in the starting lineup against southpaws. Boone endorsed Goldschmidt during his pregame presser before Game 1 on Tuesday, mentioning that Rice will be back in the lineup on Wednesday in Game 2 against Red Sox righty Brayan Bello. “Goldy is going to play against every lefty we face,” Boone said. “I mean, that’s a pretty easy call. Ben is obviously a huge part of our offense and has had a phenomenal year and is hot, but I think part of that is he’s faced the people he should be facing too.” It’s also worth noting here that Goldschmidt has had trouble against Crochet. He’s 2-or-15 against the left-hander with five strikeouts in his career. Rice isn’t better , but that sample for Goldschmidt could be a sign that the veteran’s struggles will continue. Again, this wasn’t a shocking decision by any means. Goldschmidt has started against lefties and led off in those matchups for much of this season. He may have a great game and get on base ahead of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton early and often. But in a best-of-three series where the margin for error is infinitesimal, the Yankees may regret having Rice on the bench while Crochet sets the tone. Boston’s bullpen hasthis year as well, so the Yankees will be in a tough spot if they fall behind early and need to come back late. Regardless, expect Rice to enter the game in the mid-to-late innings once Crochet is out of the game. As Boone said, Rice could end up at the plate for the most important at-bat of the ballgame. ”Obviously we have a really good chip over there sitting on the bench hopefully in a big spot as well,” Boone said.Mike Francesa blasts Yankees for lame playoff ticket policy: ‘This is the pinstripes!’Yankees’ Wild Card Series roster has surprises If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Red Sox vs. Yankees: AL East Rivals Meet in Wild-Card RoundIf either the Red Sox or the Yankees have any idea of reaching the World Series, they're going to have to do it through one another.
Read more »
Yankees react to falling short in AL East race, Wild Card matchup with Red SoxThe Yankees will face the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium since the Blue Jays won the AL East.
Read more »
How to watch Yankees-Red Sox AL Wild Card SeriesYankees-Red Sox has always been appointment television, and this time around will be no different.
Read more »
Red Sox and Yankees meet in high-profile Wild Card Series starting TuesdayAaron Judge prefers to focus on the Yankees' upcoming Wild Card Series against Boston rather than past losses
Read more »
Red Sox and Yankees meet in high-profile Wild Card Series starting TuesdayThe Yankees will host the Red Sox in a best-of-three series starting Tuesday. The Yankees have home-field advantage due to a better record than Boston.
Read more »
Yankees vs. Red Sox series odds: See whose favored in MLB Wild-Card RoundThe Yankees are sizable favorites over the Red Sox in the Wild Card round.
Read more »