The Milwaukee Brewers do not have their captain, Christian Yelich, in the lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This is the second time the Brewers have done this in the postseason, also sitting Yelich in Game 1 of the NLCS against Tarik Skubal. Yelich, a former MVP, did not have a good regular season and would, under normal circumstances, play regardless of which hand the opposing starting pitcher throws with.
However, the Brewers have the luxury of having Andrew Vaughn to slot in at designated hitter. He came into the season expecting to be the everyday first baseman, but he injured his hand in the first game of the season. Jake Bauers was unstoppable in his place and earned his spot in the lineup. The Brewers still found ways to get Vaughn in the lineup, and he has been great when he’s in there. He crushes left-handed pitching, and with Blake Snell on the mound, Pat Murphy is playing matchup.
Vaughn started in place of Yelich against Skubal and got a double. Murphy is hoping his move pays off on Wednesday, but sitting Yelich is certainly a risk. He has been one of the best hitters on the team in October, going 7-for-19 with two walks in the first five games he’s played in.
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Yelich did get a hit off a southpaw in the first game of the postseason, singling off Robbie Ray. However, the Brewers know that Vaughn is a weapon and Murphy does not want to leave him on the bench against an elite lefty like Snell.
Fans should not expect Yelich to stay on the bench for long, however. The second Vaughn is due up with a righty on the mound, Yelich will likely take his place.
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