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April 19, 2007
Manager Terry Francona has juggled his starting lineup for today's series finale in Toronto.
Mindful of the fact that the Sox have played this series on turf, which takes its toll on the players' legs, and also mindful that today's game begins roughly only 10 hours after last night's game was completed, Francona is mixing and matching while, he said a few minutes ago, putting out a lineup he thinks can beat Toronto ace Roy Halladay.
So Kevin Youkilis is making the move across the diamond from first base to third base, with Eric Hinske getting the start at first. That gives Mike Lowell a day off, and shortstop Julio Lugo gets his first day off, replaced at short by Alex Cora.
Lugo's absence from the lineup has prompted Francona to push Coco Crisp up to the leadoff spot for today's game.
Of course, the changes haven't exactly fueled the lineup with hot hitters. Crisp, at the top of the order, enters the game batting .136. Catcher Jason Varitek moves up to sixth in the order, and he is batting .212. Hinske is holding up his end, at .800, but after him are Dustin Pedroia (.188) and Cora (.143).
And that doesn't even account for a cleanup hitter (Manny Ramirez) batting .191 without a home run. Ramirez has started slowly before, but usually he breaks out when the Sox visit Toronto, one of his favorite parks to hit in. A year ago his first two homers of the season came in a game at the Rogers Centre.
-- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner 
at 10:27 AM | Permalink
