One day removed from his 0-for-8 performance, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been bumped down from cleanup to fifth in the lineup as the Red Sox prepare to face a pitcher who is particularly tough on lefties in Royals starter Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez and Gonzalez faced off 43 times while residing in the NL West -- Gonzalez with the Padres, and Sanchez with the Giants -- with Sanchez holding Gonzalez to a .231/.302/.385 line with three doubles and a homer.
With Sanchez on the hill, the Red Sox will feature catcher Kelly Shoppach in the lineup as well as Darnell McDonald in left field as Ryan Sweeney and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who caught all 17 innings on Sunday) get the day off. Mike Aviles is back in Kansas City for the first time since the Royals traded him last July for Yamaico Navarro and Kendall Volz.
For complete batter vs. pitcher matchup histories, click here [1]. For more Red Sox coverage, visit weei.com/redsox [2].
RED SOX LINEUP
Aviles, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Ross, RF
Gonzalez, 1B
Middlebrooks, 3B
McDonald, LF
Byrd, CF
Shoppach, C
Doubront, SP (LHP)
ROYALS LINEUP
Dyson, CF
Gordon, LF
Butler, DH
Hosmer, 1B
Francoeur, RF
Moustakas, 3B
Pena, C
Getz, 2B
Escobar, SS
Sanchez, SP (LHP)
Links:
[1] http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2012/05/07/monday%E2%80%99s-red-sox-royals-matchups-felix-doubront-vs-jonathan-sanchez/
[2] http://www.weei.com/redsox
[3] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/red-sox