The Los Angeles Dodgers made a surprise announcement before their series finale against the San Diego Padres.
Los Angeles ends the three-game road series against San Diego on Wednesday, with the game serving as a rubber match, as the Dodgers won on Tuesday after losing 1-0 on Monday. Before the game, Los Angeles revealed its lineup, which wasn’t much of a surprise:
- S. Ohtani DH
- M. Betts SS
- F. Freeman 1B
- K. Tucker RF
- W. Smith C
- M. Muncy 3B
- A. Pages CF
- T. Hernández LF
- H. Kim 2B
Ohtani is in the lineup, despite pitching, but the unusual announcement was nearly an hour after the Dodgers revealed their lineup, manager Dave Roberts decided to swap Pages and Smith in the order.
So, the new Dodgers lineup for the series finale against the Padres is as follows:
- S. Ohtani DH
- M. Betts SS
- F. Freeman 1B
- K. Tucker RF
- A. Pages CF
- M. Muncy 3B
- W. Smith C
- T. Hernández LF
- H. Kim 2B
Why Roberts and the Dodgers decided to swap Pages and Smith in the order an hour after revealing their lineup is uncertain. But, it’s a move the team thinks will help them win and has decided to make.
First pitch for the Dodgers-Padres series finale is set for 8:40 pm. ET.
Dodgers Fans React to Lineup Change
After Los Angeles opted to make the lineup change, Dodgers fans were surprised by it.
“Just set your lineup lol why are you so scared,” a fan wrote.
“Perhaps someone realized Will Smith went 3-21 during the last week or so and Pages was the hero last night,” a fan added.
“This musical chairs lineup is really getting annoying. Break up the two lefties (Freeman and Tucker) Put Smith or Pages there,” a fan added.
Some fans, however, would like Roberts to make other changes in the Dodgers lineup.
“How long we have to endured Mookie being unproductive at 2nd,” a fan added.
“move betts down. tired of the unaware hitting from him,” a fan wrote.
“tucker should move down the line as well,” a fan added.
Los Angeles is off to a 30-19 start and atop the NL West.
Pages Leads LA to Win
Roberts moved Pages up the lineup after he helped the Dodgers get a 5-4 win over the Padres on Tuesday.
In the top of the ninth, with a runner on third and two outs, Pages was able to fight off some pitches against Mason Miller before sending a fly ball to right field, which was deep enough to score the run.
Pages fell behind 0-2 to start, before fouling off a slider and a triple-digit fastball. He then took a ball, before another foul, and another ball. After getting to a 2-2 count, he fouled off three more pitches before the fly ball, which impressed the Dodgers.
“It was one of the greatest at-bats I’ve ever seen in person, and I’ve been playing a long time,” said Freddie Freeman. “To hit 95 [mph] is hard, to hit 100 is even harder, to hit 102 is even probably the hardest thing to do, and to foul off 102s back to back, sliders at 87, 88 — one of the best at-bats I’ve ever seen.”
Pages, meanwhile, had plenty of confidence he was going to score the run.
In my mind, I never thought he was gonna strike me out or dominate me,” Pages said. “I was 100% certain I was gonna move the ball forward.”
Pages is now hitting .294 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs this season.
Dodgers Make Unusual Announcement Before Padres Series Finale