Jim Leyland is mixing up--or, more accurately, shifting--the lineup for the Detroit Tigers as they try to even the series against the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox (2-1)
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Shane Victorino, RF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Mike Napoli, 1B
- Daniel Nava, LF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
- Stephen Drew, SS
- Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Starting Pitcher -- Jake Peavy
Detroit Tigers (1-2)
- Torii Hunter, RF
- Miguel Cabrera, 3B
- Prince Fielder, 1B
- Victor Martinez, DH
- Jhonny Peralta, LF
- Alex Avila, C
- Omar Infante, 2B
- Austin Jackson, CF
- Jose Iglesias, SS
Starting Pitcher -- Doug Fister
The strategy for Leyland seems fairly simple: in a series where the minutiae of lineup creation has gone to the birds in the face of pure pitching domination, he's getting his best batters to the plate as many times as possible. At least, as many times as possible without batting Miguel Cabrera leadoff which would be something else entirely.
John Farrell has made no such change, though Daniel Nava will return to the lineup for the first time since collecting Boston's only hit in Game 1. Hopefully that's a sign of more good at bats for Boston, not of Daniel Nava being some bad luck talisman that doubles the length of the no-hitter.
In fact, let's hope the Red Sox do away with the whole no-hitter flirtation phenomenon altogether. Doug Fister is a very good pitcher, but he's not on the same level as the first three arms offered up by Detroit. The same, frankly, can be said of Jake Peavy. It's ridiculous that this is the matchup in Game 4, just not quite as ridiculous as the matchup in Game 3.