The Tampa Bay Rays trail two games to none in the World Series to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Despite that, the Rays have benched two of their best hitters for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night at Tropicana Field. Jonathan Aranda and Liam Hicks both are out of the lineup to start a crucial game for Tampa Bay.
In their place are Ryan Vilade at first base for Aranda and Nick Fortes catching for Hicks.
The full lineup:
- Yandy Diaz DH
- Ryan Vilade 1B
- Chandler Simpson LF
- Junior Caminero 3B
- Ben Williamson 2B
- Jonny DeLuca CF
- Victor Mesa Jr. RF
- Nick Fortes C
- Taylor Walls SS
It’s a bold call from Kevin Cash.
Why Isn’t Jonathan Aranda Playing?
Aranda is out of the starting lineup because the Brewers are starting a left-handed pitcher, Robert Gasser.
The lefty-hitting Aranda is sitting in favor of the right-handed hitting Vilade, who has mashed lefties all season long.
This season, Aranda had a .678 OPS against lefties with just three home runs in 164 at bats (compared to an .837 OPS with 19 homers in 416 at bats against righties).
On paper, it’s a move that makes sense.
Aranda has looked comfortable in the World Series, though. He was 3-for-3 in Game 1 with a walk, and he went 1-for-4 with a double in Game 2.
The watch will be on for when Cash goes to the bench. If the Brewers go to a righty reliever as early as the second time through the order, is that too early to burn Vilade and bring in Aranda?
At some point, Aranda should still get a chance to impact Game 3. The Rays will have to hope they haven’t fallen into too deep a deficit for it to matter.
Why Isn’t Liam Hicks Playing?
Hicks is also out of the lineup due to the platoon matchup against Gasser. Hicks bats lefty, while Fortes bats righty.
This season, Hicks had just a .504 OPS against lefties in 104 at bats with one homer. He was at .883 in OPS with 17 homers and a .309 average against righties. This call seems fair.
Fortes isn’t a huge threat at the plate, but the Rays get a chance to shake things up a bit and can pick their spot with Hicks later in the game.
The Brewers will of course be aware of the two spots in the lineup that could get a lefty pinch-hitter, and the Nos. 8 and 2 spots are just four places apart. That’d be a logical window in the game to bring in lefty Aaron Ashby and try to keep the Rays’ lefties on the bench until later in the game — or if they’ve already brought them in, then Ashby can try to get both out.
It’s a fascinating chess match as the Rays try to push their way back into contention in the World Series. They definitely can’t afford to fall behind 3-0.
Why Rays Benched Jonathan Aranda, Liam Hicks for World Series Game 3