Joe Girardi has published his lineup for Game 2 of the Division Series between his New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, and it's unsurprisingly surprise-free:
Yankees vs. Tigers: Joe Girardi’s Game 2 Lineup
1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Curtis Granderson* CF
3. Robinson Cano* 2B
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Mark Teixeira** 1B
6. Nick Swisher** RF
7. Jorge Posada** DH
8. Russell Martin C
9. Brett Gardner* LF
Nothing to see here, folks. No, it doesn't make any sense to bat Jeter leadoff and Gardner ninth with right-hander Max Scherzer starting for the Tigers. Yes, it would probably make more sense to bat Gardner leadoff and Jeter ninth, and maybe push Teixeira up one slot to cleanup.
But Girardi hasn’t been optimizing his lineup all season, so why start now? The Yankees did finish second in the American League in scoring and third in road scoring, so somebody’s doing something right. And with all those switch-hitters, it won’t be easy for Jim Leyland to play the match-up game with his relievers if Scherzer gets knocked out before the seventh inning. Which he probably will.
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