Mike Carp will start at first base for the Red Sox in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series in place of the struggling Mike Napoli, reports Jason Mastrodonato of MLB.com.
ALCS 2013: Red Sox to sit Mike Napoli in Game 2
Napoli has struggled throughout the playoffs.
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Napoli has struggled getting good wood on a pitch in the playoffs, picking up just two hits in 16 at-bats. He has drawn four walks, however, so he is still showing a fairly good eye at the plate. Napoli had been one of the hottest hitters in baseball toward the end of the season, hitting .333/.494/.733 with six home runs in September.
The Red Sox will thus give Napoli a day off in the hope that it will get him back on track. Carp has seen extremely limited playing time in the postseason, taking one at bat in the ALDS and one in the ALCS so far. He has not yet reached base.
Carp was outstanding in a limited role for the Red Sox during the regular season, hitting .296 with an .885 OPS while appearing in 86 games.
Boston lost Game 1 of the ALCS to the Detroit Tigers as Anibal Sanchez and the Detroit bullpen shut the Red Sox out.
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