BOSTON -- Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. started the first 11 games of the postseason for the Red Sox, even though five of those matchups were against left-handed pitchers. However, that streak is likely to end when Boston plays Game 3 of the World Series in Los Angeles on Friday.
Without the designated hitter, J.D. Martinez will move to the outfield, and manager Alex Cora hasn't warmed up to the idea of moving Mookie Betts to second base. So that leaves an odd man out from the team's strong outfield -- Betts in right, Bradley in center and Andrew Benintendi in left -- and Bradley is the most logical candidate.
Though he was named American League Championship Series MVP, Bradley entered Game 2 of the World Series with a .161 average in the playoffs. With Benintendi going 4-for-5 in Game 1, Cora would be unlikely to take him out of the lineup.
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Righty Walker Buehler is starting for Los Angeles in Game 3. Lefties Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw are likely for Games 4 and 5 (if necessary). Bradley and Benintendi are both left-handed hitters.
Though Bradley is an elite defender, Benintendi is the better offensive player.
"We'll talk about the matchups and we go from there. Andrew started swinging the bat well, too, and that's good," said Cora. "I've been saying all along, it'd be fun for the three guys [Betts, Benintendi and Martinez] to get hot together. They don't have too much time to do that, so hopefully they do it. But we'll talk about it.
"[The Dodgers] hit a lot of fly balls, but Mookie's an elite center fielder, too. J.D. we'll put in a spot, he'll make plays, and Andrew has been great on defense. We lose something defensively, but we'll see how we go."
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It is a familiar storyline for the Red Sox in the World Series. In 2007 against the Rockies, first baseman Kevin Youkilis had to sit on the road after a stellar ALCS to make way for David Ortiz. In '13, first baseman Mike Napoli, a key contributor all season, had to sit in St. Louis to keep Ortiz's big bat in the lineup.
And now Bradley will likely have to give way to Martinez, Boston's best run producer.

"It's the World Series, so I'm not going to complain," Cora said. "The good thing is that it's only three games. It could have been worse. It could be four, like last year [for the Astros]. We'll deal with it."
With the frequent substitutions in National League parks due to the pitcher hitting, Bradley will get his opportunity to play center in the mid-to-late innings.
Cora praises Nunez for team-first attitude
A day after Eduardo Nunez's game-breaking, pinch-hit three-run homer that helped the Red Sox win Game 1, the third baseman was drawing praise from Cora for both the quality of his at-bat and his selfless attitude.
"I heard what he said about looking for a pitch and he got it. That pitch, [where it was], that was impressive," Cora said. "He's been swinging the bat well. He's been direct to the ball for a while."

Despite the homer, and the Sox facing another lefty in Hyun-Jin Ryu, Cora started Rafael Devers at third for Game 2. Nunez will again be ready to pinch-hit against a lefty.
"I'm very happy for him," said Cora. "I just talked to them [as a group], and for a guy who plays against lefties all season, and all of the sudden we get to the World Series and, 'Hey, by the way, you're not starting' -- he understands why. Obviously we put the team in front of everybody and he understood and he was ready and we're happy that he hit that ball hard. Just talked to them in the room in the hitter's meeting, brought it up and said, 'Hey man, that's what it's all about.'"

Travel plans
Whether it is the regular season or postseason, the Red Sox typically take their team charter flight after the game.
But they've altered course in the World Series and will leave mid-day on Thursday and won't have an off-day workout at Dodger Stadium.
"I think it's better for the players to get their rest tonight, sleep at home and hop on a plane," Cora said. "We've been talking about it through the playoffs, and it's tough traveling to go to L.A., but we're not complaining; we're in the World Series. If it was Milwaukee, we were going to fly tonight, but now that it's L.A., we'll stay here, get our sleep, hop on a plane and be there tomorrow."

In the ALCS, Cora did have a workout at Minute Maid Park the day before Game 3 because he wanted his players to get acclimated to the venue. Given the more conventional dimensions of Dodger Stadium, Cora didn't think it was necessary this time.
"If they have any questions, I can answer it," said Cora, who played for the Dodgers from 1998-2004.
Holt: Communication better under Cora
Cora has been getting rave reviews all season from his players. In a pregame news conference on Wednesday, infielder Brock Holt elaborated.
"You know, for me personally it's communication," Holt said. "Being able to know what's going on, what's going through his head, when we're playing, when we're not playing, certain situations where we might come in during the game. It just makes it so much easier as a team to go out and perform. There wasn't a whole lot of communication in the past."