Trolling the Platoon

Craig Counsell used Wade Miley for one batter:

Roberts stocked Los Angeles’ lineup with right-handed hitters against the left-handed Miley, though he moved the left-handed Bellinger to the leadoff spot and started Max Muncy at second base. David Freese, who only starts against lefties, batted in the No. 3 hole, and Chris Taylor got the nod in left field instead of the left-handed-hitting Joc Pederson. Austin Barnes made his second consecutive start behind the plate in place of switch-hitting Yasmani Grandal. It’s also fair to assume Counsell’s move kept the right-handed-hitting Yasiel Puig, who has reverse splits, out of Roberts’ starting lineup.

I thought the Red Sox should have done something like this in game seven of the 1986 World Series. The Mets used a platoon at the top of the order. If the Red Sox had started Oil Can Boyd, then brought in Bruce Hurst after one batter the Mets would have been at a disadvantage the rest of the game. Nice to see Counsell try this strategy.

The Brewers lead the Dodgers 1-0 at the end of three innings.

from baseballmusings.com https://ift.tt/2P8iVKA