TORONTO — Searching for to spark a scuffling Dodgers offense, supervisor Dave Roberts shook up his lineup yet another time with the season on the road in Sport 6 of the World Collection on Friday night time at Rogers Centre.
Mookie Betts moved down one other spot, from third to fourth. Tommy Edman began in middle area for the primary time this postseason, opening up second base for Miguel Rojas within the nine-hole. The Dodgers are hoping {that a} change on the backside of the order can spark one thing for the highest, as leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani has taken solely seven plate appearances with runners on in the course of the World Collection.
Because the saying goes, determined instances name for determined measures. With the Dodgers one loss away from falling wanting their title protection, this will surely qualify.
The final time Betts batted cleanup was Sept. 29, 2017. The Dodgers’ shortstop is hitting simply 3-for-23 (.130) with no extra-base hits by means of the primary 5 video games of the World Collection, and he has been frank about how he is carried out.
“I don’t wish to converse on anyone else,” Betts stated after Sport 5. “However for myself, I’ve simply been horrible.”
Whereas Betts has sturdy profession numbers towards Blue Jays Sport 6 starter Kevin Gausman — 15-for-49 (.306) with an .869 OPS — most of that success got here after they have been dealing with off extra frequently as AL East opponents in 2018 or earlier. Betts went 0-for-3 towards Gausman in Sport 2.
In the meantime, Edman begins in middle area for the primary time since Sept. 24. The Dodgers misplaced numerous lineup flexibility when a nagging proper ankle that landed Edman on the injured listing twice this yr restricted him to enjoying second base for a lot of the postseason.
Within the 18-inning marathon that was Sport 3, Edman performed the ultimate 5 innings in middle area out of necessity. He got here out of that nicely sufficient that he was feasibly an possibility in middle as soon as extra, though the Dodgers confirmed some reluctance to begin him there, particularly whereas enjoying on turf at Rogers Centre.
However an elimination sport signifies that something is on the desk, and giving Rojas a glance was definitely worth the danger for the Dodgers. Rojas has not began since NLDS Sport 2 in Philadelphia, and he has a .364 on-base share in a meager pattern of 12 plate appearances.
