World Series Game 2 lineups: Dodgers load up from the right side vs. Rays’ Blake Snell

With Blake Snell scheduled to start for the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, the Dodgers will counter with a slightly different lineup from the one they used to easily win Game 1.

Kiké Hernández will start at second base as he has most of the postseason opposite left-handed starters. Chris Taylor, the Dodgers’ second baseman against righties, will shift to left field. AJ Pollock, a right-handed hitter, will start at designated hitter.

That leaves Joc Pederson, who starts against right-handers, as a left-handed pinch-hit option for when the Rays turn to their vaunted bullpen.

Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, has allowed seven runs in 19 2/3 innings across four postseason starts. He hasn’t completed six innings in any of the outings.

Dodgers

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Oct. 20, 2020

Tony Gonsolin will make his second start and third appearance of the postseason opposite Snell. He yielded five runs in 4 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the NLCS. He then allowed two runs in two innings out of the bullpen in Game 7 on Sunday. He’ll pitch on two days’ rest Wednesday.

DODGERS LINEUP
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Max Muncy 1B
Will Smith C
Cody Bellinger CF
AJ Pollock DH
Kiké Hernández 2B
Chris Taylor LF

Tony Gonsolin RHP

RAYS LINEUP
Austin Meadows DH
Brandon Lowe 2B
Randy Arozarena LF
Ji-Man Choi 1B
Manuel Margot RF
Joey Wendle 3B
Willy Adames SS
Kevin Kiermaier CF
Mike Zunino

Blake Snell LHP