Giants, Royals set World Series Game 3 lineups

With the World Series moving to Giants territory -- where the designated hitter is not allowed -- the lineups finally look a little different. The Royals have moved Alex Gordon up from his usual sixth spot all the way to the two hole, subtracted DH Billy Butler from the proceedings, and switched in Jarrod Dyson for Norichika Aoki in the outfield.

Aoki is normally the right fielder, but Lorenzo Cain will take over there in Game 3, leaving Dyson with center field, the position he normally comes in for late in games for defensive purposes. The Royals are trying to squeeze whatever extra production they can from the defense in order to make up for the loss of their DH, and this seems like a solid way to do it. The one downside is that losing Aoki further limits their offense, as he’s one of the few sources of on-base percentage. He’s a low-power guy whose defense could be improved upon, though, and can always come off the bench in a spot where a baserunner is needed, so the reasoning still has merit.

As for the Giants, they’re back to their regular lineup setup, which means no designated hitter. They are sitting Michael Morse for Game 3, however, instead going with Travis Ishikawa in left once again.

Tim Hudson is your starter for the Giants in his first-ever World Series appearance, while Jeremy Guthrie will oppose him for the Royals in his own first World Series game.