Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has released his lineup for today's Division Series Game 2:
Yankees vs. Tigers: Jim Leyland’s Game 2 Lineup
1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Magglio Ordonez, RF
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez**, DH
6. Alex Avila*, C
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Wilson Betemit**, 3B
9. Ramon Santiago**, 2B
Three switch-hitters and one lefty against Yankees right-hander Freddy Garcia ... and does anyone else think it's just a little strange that Leyland's No. 3 hitter against a right-handed pitcher is right-handed-hitting Delmon Young, who just a couple of months ago seemed on the verge of washing out of the major leagues.
Young’s showed some power since joining the Tigers at the trade deadline, but his OBP with Detroit is only .298 and his slugging percentage is lower than Peralta’s.
Hey, maybe Leyland knows something we don’t know (in fact, he almost certainly does). But it’s hard to imagine a worse No. 3 hitter, on a good team anyway, than Delmon Young.
Granted, the Tigers aren’t exactly swimming in lefty-hitting outfielders who can hit. But Joe Girardi won’t have to think real hard about which relief pitcher to use, with those four righties at the top of the Tigers’ lineup.
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