Dodgers’ elimination lineup: Yasmani Grandal, Joc Pederson are in
Yasmani Grandal hits a three-run double Monday during Game 3 of the Dodgers’ National League division series against the New York Mets.
Why should anything change now?
The Dodgers have been juggling their lineup all year long, so it was probably silly to think they play a win-or-go-home game and not come up with something unexpected.
That 50% chance Yasmani Grandal would start? Fifty percent is still a decent percentage. He’s in the starting lineup.
Carl Crawford a regular against right-handed starters? Not in Game 5. He’s out of the lineup and replaced in left by Enrique Hernandez.
Which puts Joc Pederson back in center.
Here’s your elimination-game lineup for the Dodgers:
Howie Kendrick, second
Corey Seager, shortstop
Adrian Gonzalez, first
Justin Turner, third
Andre Ethier, right
Grandal, catcher
Hernandez, left
Pederson, center
Zack Greinke, pitcher
Crawford has one hit in 11 postseason at-bats. Grandal has only one in eight at-bats and has been hampered by a bad shoulder, but has been Greinke’s main catcher all season. Pederson, however, is hitless in three at-bats but with two walks. And in a game that figures to be low scoring, he brings top-flight defense. Seager also continues to start ahead of veteran Jimmy Rollins at short.
“[Grandal] feels a lot better,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “He and Zack work really good together, that was really kind of the main thing.”
The Mets lineup:
Curtis Granderson, right
David Wright, third
Daniel Murphy, second
Yoenis Cespedes, center
Lucas Duda, first
Travis d’Arnaud, catcher
Michael Conforto, left
Wilmer Flores, short
Jacob deGrom, pitcher
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