The Brewers are keeping the same look for Monday night’s Game 3 against the Rays, and that means Milwaukee is rolling with the exact same lineup it used in the first two games of the series.
Jackson Chourio leads things off in left field, followed by Jake Bauers at first base and Christian Yelich as the designated hitter. William Contreras bats cleanup at catcher, with Brice Turang in the five spot at second base. Garrett Mitchell is in center field, Cooper Pratt starts at shortstop, Sal Frelick is in right field and David Hamilton handles third base.
The full order: Jackson Chourio, LF; Jake Bauers, 1B; Christian Yelich, DH; William Contreras, C; Brice Turang, 2B; Garrett Mitchell, CF; Cooper Pratt, SS; Sal Frelick, RF; David Hamilton, 3B.
Milwaukee has leaned on matchup-based platoons throughout the playoffs, especially at third base and in right field, with some movement at designated hitter depending on the opposing starter. When a right-hander is on the mound, David Hamilton and Sal Frelick have been part of the mix, while Christian Yelich has been in there almost every game. Andrew Vaughn has gotten occasional run against lefties.
That approach has carried into the World Series, where Tampa Bay has sent a right-handed starter to the mound in all three games. Milwaukee has stayed with its left-handed options all the way through.
So far, the results give the Brewers little reason to tinker. They took a 2-0 series lead out of Milwaukee after winning Game 1, 3-2, and Game 2, 5-4, and now head into Monday night with a chance to build a commanding three-game edge on the road.
Not every bat has been loud yet. Garrett Mitchell is 1-for-8 in the series, and Brice Turang is 1-for-6 with three walks. Even so, Milwaukee is sticking with the formula that got it here.
The message is simple: if it hasn’t broken, there’s no point in changing it.
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