Rays Bench Aranda for World Series Game 3 Despite Hot Postseason Bat

Tampa Bay has made a bold lineup call for World Series Game 3. First baseman Jonathan Aranda will not start on Monday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, even though he is not injured, with manager Kevin Cash instead turning to right-handed hitter Ryan Vilade at first base. The switch is a matchup move against Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser, and it is a striking one given Aranda's form: he has started every game for the Rays this postseason and has been one of their most effective hitters in the World Series, reaching base in five of his eight plate appearances. Across the playoffs he is hitting.310 with 13 hits, a home run and five runs batted in. The Rays made further right-handed tweaks around him, with Nick Fortes catching instead of Liam Hicks and Ben Williamson, who started Game 1, returning at second base in place of Richie Palacios. Milwaukee, by contrast, is unchanged, running back the same nine that won the first two games, with Jackson Chourio leading off and Christian Yelich batting third. The Rays trail 2-0 in the series as it shifts to Tropicana Field, and Cash's gamble is a clear signal that he is willing to shuffle a winning formula to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.