The Los Angeles Dodgers made several notable lineup changes ahead of NLDS Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers dropped Shohei Ohtani down the order, while Kike Hernandez enters the mix and Miguel Rojas gets the start as well, going righty-heavy against Chris Sale.
Dodgers Lineup
1. Mookie Betts, SS
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Teoscar Hernández, LF
4. Will Smith, C
5. Shohei Ohtani, DH
6. Miguel Rojas, 2B
7. Andy Pages, CF
8. Kyle Tucker, RF
9. Kike Hernandez, 3B
The Dodgers are keeping Mookie Betts at leadoff, with a lefty on the mound. Freddie Freeman is taking the second spot, and while he won’t have the match-up advantage, he is swinging well.
Teoscar Hernandez moves up to third, while Will Smith stays high in the order, just dropping one spot to fourth despite not getting a hit in the series.
Shohei Ohtani is hitting fifth, such a massive departure from where he usually hits. He usually leads off or hits second. Ohtani is 2-for-8 in the postseason, and he has not been too bad at the plate.
Rojas hits sixth, given his ability to hit lefties; Pages stays at seventh; Tucker drops to eighth; and Kike Hernandez takes third to replace Max Muncy.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is starting for the Dodgers, taking the mound in the biggest game of the season thus far against another ace in Sale.
The Dodgers, after Snell gave just 3.2 innings in his start, need length from Yamamoto, likely around seven innings, to only need high-leverage relievers out of the bullpen.
He is prone to home runs and hard hits, and he can lose his command a bit every now and then; for a pitcher like Yamamoto, those margins matter.
