BOSTON -- For the first time in postseason history, two No. 1 overall picks will face off Sunday night. David Price (No. 1 pick in 2007) and Gerrit Cole (2011) will be on the mound in ALCS Game 2 at Fenway Park. Houston won Game 1 on Saturday night. Here's how you can watch Game 2.
Sunday afternoon both ALCS clubs announced their starting lineups for Game 2. Here is the starting nine the visiting Astros will run out there against Price:
- CF George Springer
- 2B Jose Altuve
- 3B Alex Bregman
- 1B Yuli Gurriel
- DH Tyler White
- LF Marwin Gonzalez
- SS Carlos Correa
- C Martin Maldonado
- RF Josh Reddick
RHP Gerrit Cole
With another left-hander on the mound, Astros skipper A.J. Hinch is sticking with the same lineup for Game 2. It worked against Chris Sale, right? Might as well use it against Price too. That said, Houston did have only seven hits in Game 1. They didn't exactly bang the ball around the park all night. They benefited from 13 -- 13! -- free baserunners (10 walks and three hit batsmen).
Now here is the lineup Red Sox manager Alex Cora will use against Cole:
- RF Mookie Betts
- LF Andrew Benintendi
- DH J.D. Martinez
- SS Xander Bogaerts
- 1B Steve Pearce
- 3B Rafael Devers
- 2B Ian Kinsler
- CF Jackie Bradley Jr.
- C Christian Vazquez
LHP David Price
Devers replaces Eduardo Nunez at third base and I think it's the right move. Neither player is a stud defensively -- or even good defensively -- but Devers is the more talented player, and he can change the game with one swing every time he steps in the batter's box. Nunez can't do that. Starting Devers against the right-hander Cole is the smart move. He can always be replaced in the late innings defensively.
Also, Mitch Moreland remains day-to-day with a hamstring injury. He was able to pinch-hit in Game 1 and is expected to be able to do so again in Game 2, but playing the field and running the bases is a bit of an issue right now. Moreland remains out and Pearce, a right-handed hitter, is back in the lineup against another righty.
