LOS ANGELES -- The sore right ankle that left J.D. Martinez somewhat iffy for Game 3 of the World Series cleared up enough for the slugger to bat cleanup and start in left field.
"He looked like he got better throughout [Game 2]," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Yesterday he showed up and he was moving well. Today he did a few drills. They hit it in the air, and we'll put him in the spot and make some plays."
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Without the designated hitter at Dodger Stadium, Cora had to sit one of his outfielders to make way for Martinez. Somewhat surprisingly, Jackie Bradley Jr. got the start in center and regular left fielder Andrew Benintendi -- a key contributor in the first two games -- was on the bench.
Benintendi did enter as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning with the score tied at 1, but he struck out against Kenley Jansen.
Part of Cora's thinking was to keep Bradley's superb range in the outfield due to Martinez not running around at 100 percent.
"The matchup is OK both ways, keeping Jackie in center with Mookie [in right]," Cora said. "J.D., he's OK, but we know where he's at. With the other two defenders in this ballpark, it's good for us. You just look at Benny off the bench against lefties or righties, and he can run, too, and he can play defense."
The Dodgers will start lefty Rich Hill in Game 4 and Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 (if necessary). Benintendi hits lefties better than Bradley. Is that an indicator that Bradley will be the one who sits in Game 4?
"We'll decide that tomorrow," said Cora.
Martinez, who rolled his right ankle during an awkward stumble on second base in Game 1, led the Majors with 130 RBIs this season and went 3-for-7 with four RBIs in the first two games of the World Series. He was named the American League winner of the 2018 Hank Aaron Award on Friday, which honors the best offensive player in each league (Milwaukee's Christian Yelich won in the National League).
In other lineup adjustments, Cora went with the left-handed hitters Mitch Moreland and Brock Holt at first and second base against Dodgers righty Walker Buehler in place of Steve Pearce and Ian Kinsler.