Yankees Move Giancarlo Stanton to Cleanup in ALCS Game 3 Lineup
Owner of a red-hot bat this October, Giancarlo Stanton was bumped up to the cleanup spot in the Yankees’ lineup for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Guardians on Thursday. Two spots behind him in the order was Jon Berti, who stepped in for Anthony Rizzo at first base as New York looks for a commanding 3-0 edge that would put them just one win shy of a spot in the Fall Classic.
Stanton, who entered Thursday hitting .304 with two homers and five RBIs in 23 postseason at-bats, takes the No. 4 spot in the lineup that has recently belonged to Austin Wells. Wells is just 2-for-24 in the postseason; Jose Trevino was behind the plate in his stead.
According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, the fact that Cleveland is starting left-hander Matthew Boyd predicated both Berti and Trevino getting a starting nod. Boone added that Rizzo is fine physically — the veteran first baseman is 3-for-7 in his first two postseason games — but they are mindful he is playing with two fractured fingers and they want to keep building him back up steadily.