D-backs, LA make changes to Game 2 lineups

October 7th, 2017

LOS ANGELES -- The D-backs have tweaked their lineup as they look to pull even in Game 2 of the National League Division Series presented by T-Mobile against the Dodgers on Saturday night.
Chris Iannetta, Arizona's regular catcher for starting pitcher Robbie Ray, and , who cranked a critical home run in the NL Wild Card Game, have both been installed, as has , who did not start Friday in large part due to the unfavorable matchup against .
Lamb's struggles against left-handed pitching have been well chronicled. He had a .144/.269/.288 slash line with 54 strikeouts and 20 walks against southpaws in the regular season, though he is a career 2-for-4 with a homer and four walks against Dodgers Game 3 starter Rich Hill, who went 0-3 with a 5.03 ERA in four starts against the D-backs this season.
"I'm aware of the reverse split factor with Rich Hill, and he's a quality pitcher," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said about his lineup changes. "We're going to look for any type of advantage that we can possibly get. I spoke yesterday about the catching rotation that [Iannetta] was going to get the nod today, so that was going to happen no matter what. But inserting the two lefties in there was a little bit of a strategy."
For the D-backs, Friday's 9-5 loss snapped a six-game winning streak against the Dodgers, though they did tag Kershaw for four homers, a personal high for the four-time Cy Young Award winner in any postseason.
The Dodgers inserted at catcher and in left field to face Ray. Hernandez, a utility specialist for the Dodgers, has started most of the season vs. lefties and has had success against Ray. Hernandez holds a .269 average against Ray with three homers and five RBIs in his career vs. the southpaw.
"The last few years he's been a lefty killer," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Hernandez. 
For Barnes, who will make his first start in the postseason at catcher, he had a .257/.372/.514 slash line vs. lefties this season, and Roberts said the 27-year-old has great chemistry with Hill.
"Austin's had consistent at-bats this year," Roberts said. "I like them. His pitch framing, the rapport with Rich, they have a good rapport, and in the batter's box. Last night, he came in there, pinch-hit lines a ball to right-center field. So just kind of keeping those guys current."
D-backs lineup
LF
A.J. Pollock, CF
, 1B
J.D. Martinez, RF
, 2B
Chris Iannetta, C
, 3B
, SS
Robbie Ray, P
Dodgers lineup
Chris Taylor, CF 
, SS 
, 3B
, 1B
, LF
, 2B
, C
, RF
Rich Hill, P