St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has given us his Game 5 lineup, with lefty C.J. Wilson starting for the Texas Rangers:
World Series Game 5: Cardinals Lineup Features Skip Schumaker
1. Rafael Furcal (S) SS
2. Allen Craig (R) RF
3. Albert Pujols (R) 1B
4. Matt Holliday (R) LF
5. Lance Berkman (S) DH
6. David Freese (R) 3B
7. Yadier Molina (R) C
8. Skip Schumaker (L) CF
9. Nick Punto (S) 2B
Hey, what’s Skip Shumaker doing in there?
Skip Shumaker's in there because Jon Jay, easily the Cardinals' best defensive center fielder -- their only defensive center fielder, really -- is 8 for 57 in the postseason and hasn't reached base since the National League Championship Series.
Things have to be pretty bad for La Russa to give Schumaker a shot, considering Skip bats left-handed (like Jay) and started only one game in center all season long. There just isn't anyone else, though. Because he's carrying three second basemen -- Schumaker, Punto, and Ryan Theriot -- on the roster and a backup third baseman (Daniel Descalso), La Russa's got only four outfielders. And one of them is DHing tonight.
Getting Jay out of the lineup isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially against a lefty. It’s just too bad for La Russa he doesn’t have a right-handed-hitting alternative.
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