Cardinals, Dodgers set lineup for pivotal Game 4
If the Dodgers lose, their season is over.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Dodgers will attempt to force a Game 5 and avoid elimination on Tuesday against the Cardinals by sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound and tweaking their lineup. Yasiel Puig will sit in what might be the final game of 2014 for Los Angeles, in favor of Andre Ethier, who will bat sixth and play center.
Carl Crawford is now in the two spot, but Ethier is the real question mark here. His range in center is the worst of the realistic options the Dodgers have, and while Puig’s second half was nowhere as good as his first, he rebounded in September to post a .284/.376/.432 line and has three hits -- including a triple -- in 12 postseason at-bats. Ethier, on the other hand, is coming off of his worst season in the majors and did not have a strong end to the season.
Puig did strike out seven times in a row, and Ethier historically mashes right-handers even while lefties are an anathema to him, but this is a panic move by manager Don Mattingly if Puig isn’t hurt.
Dodgers panic lineup: Gordon 2B Crawford LF Gonzalez 1B Kemp RF Ramirez SS Ethier CF Uribe 3B Ellis C Kershaw P
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) October 7, 2014 As for the Cardinals -- who are not in a win-or-go-home scenario unless they lose Tuesday’s game -- it’s business as usual:
#STLCards lineup vs. Los Angeles (Game 4 NLDS): Carpenter 3B Grichuk RF Holliday LF Peralta SS Adams 1B Molina C Jay CF Wong 2B Miller RHP
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 7, 2014 In addition, should the Dodgers win behind Kershaw, the Cardinals still have their ace Adam Wainwright in the mix for a Game 5 start.
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