Red Sox Manager Explains Platoon-Heavy Lineup For Game One

The Boston Red Sox lineup for game one against the New York Yankees is missing some notable names. Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu and Nathaniel Lowe all start on the bench, with the Yankees starting lefty Max Fried.

Fried has been excellent this season against both sides of the plate. Lefties have actually posted a higher OPS than righties against the Yankees’ ace — .674 for lefties versus .598 for righties.

On the other hand, Fried has struck out 30.4% of lefties compared to just 21.6% of righties. With runs at a premium in playoff games, contact is more important than ever.

On the season, the Red Sox have been heavily platoon-oriented. Romy Gonzalez turned into an everyday player late in the season, but Rob Refsnyder has started almost exclusively against lefties. Red Sox manager Alex Cora wasn’t going to deviate from that plan.

“We’ve been doing it the whole season. So nothing changes,” Cora said.

Nick Sogard is starting at second base with Gonzalez at first. That move pushed Lowe to the bench. Sogard, a switch-hitter, has been up and down between Triple-A Worcester and Boston this season, but has earned a big role down the stretch.

“I think he’s hitting like .400 against lefties,” Cora said of the utility man.

Sogard is hitting .371 against southpaws this season, compared to just .197 against righties. Cora is usually aggressive in the playoffs, meaning Sogard could be removed early in the game if a big spot arises with a righty on the mound.

Max Fried has struggled in the postseason in his career. He hasn’t completed five innings in an outing since 2021, despite being on playoff rosters each of the last three seasons. If he struggles and exits the game early, the Red Sox lineup will be shaken up quickly.