The Yankees changed their Yankees lineup on Wednesday for Game 3 of the ALDS, with the season on the line after losses in the first two games. José Caballero, a former Ray, got the first postseason start of his career as Aaron Boone mixed things up behind Max Fried.
Caballero moved into the starting lineup at third base after Boone had stayed with the same eight-lefty setup for Games 1 and 2. That approach had not produced much offense. Through the first two games of the series, the Yankees' only runs came from Ben Rice solo home runs.
Why the Yankees made the change
The lineup adjustment came after a pair of games that exposed both the offense and the defense. In Game 1 of the AL wild-card series, Anthony Volpe started over Jazz Chisholm Jr. against lefty Payton Tolle. Then in Game 2 of the ALDS on Saturday night at Tropicana Field, Ryan McMahon committed a fielding error on the first ball put in play in the bottom of the first inning, and the Yankees finished with four errors total.
That backdrop helps explain why Boone chose to shake things up. The Yankees needed a cleaner defensive look and more production in an elimination game, and Caballero offered both a fresh option and a different infield alignment.
What it means going forward
Caballero's first postseason start added another wrinkle to a series that had already forced New York to adjust. The Yankees were also looking for any spark after a two-game stretch in which they were held largely in check, with Rice accounting for all of their scoring on two solo homers.
Against the Rays, the change was about more than just one player. It was Boone signaling that the Yankees lineup needed a reset, and that the club would try a different mix with its season hanging in the balance.
