The Phillies' Game 3 lineup went up a few hours ahead of first pitch Tuesday up in Queens.
Edmundo Sosa is staying in the fold at second base, Austin Hays has the start in left field, and Alec Bohm, who was on the bench as a pinch-hitter for Game 2 while stuck in an extended slump, will be back at third.
All three are right-handed hitters, which sets the approach manager Rob Thomson is taking to try and counter Mets' lefty Sean Manaea, who has the nod for New York with the NLDS tied, 1-1.
Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, both left-handed bats, will be on the bench.
Gotta go get it#RedOctober pic.twitter.com/ynfi8JJVaB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 8, 2024
Starting Sosa in Game 2 was a play for an energy spark, Thomson said ahead of Sunday's 7-6 walk-off win that evened the series, but for his part, the utilityman went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before Bohm was put back in to pinch hit.
Bohm, however, has been mired in his own rut, which saw him take a 2-for-27 stretch into the postseason that he has yet to break. The All-Star third baseman will get another shot to try in Game 3, in a situation where the Phillies can massively benefit from it.
Stott hit a crucial two-run triple in the eighth inning of Game 2 on Sunday that briefly gave the Phillies the lead, and in the moment, just the kind of jolt they needed. But the 27-year old tends to struggle against left-handed pitchers – he has a .223/.318/.277 slash line against southpaws this season – so the Phils are going to play the matchup game going in. By comparison, Sosa is hitting lefties at a clip of .284/.347/.514 in 2024.
Marsh, while always a sound defensive decision for the outfield, has also notoriously struggled against lefties, to the point where he's been protected against them even into this past season. The Phillies are doing so again here with a potential turning point in the postseason series on the line.
MORE: Thoughts on the Phils ahead of Game 3
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
