David Ortiz Sits in Opener of Doubleheader, Jed Lowrie Batting Fifth

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May 29, 2011

David Ortiz Sits in Opener of Doubleheader, Jed Lowrie Batting Fifth David Ortiz will be on the bench to begin the first game of a day-night doubleheader in Detroit, yielding his designated hitter spot to Kevin Youkilis.

Ortiz was in the original lineup Saturday night before the Red Sox and Tigers were rained out. With a left-hander on the mound in the afternoon affair, and the ever-difficult Justin Verlander starting the nightcap, manager Terry Francona has made the change, giving two of his big bats a slightly easier afternoon.

It will allow Ortiz to focus on Verlander, and perhaps a pinch-hitting appearance in the first game, and gives Francona the chance to slide Youkilis to DH for a game. Youkilis has had various hand and hip ailments for much of the year, so every little break helps.

Drew Sutton replaces Youkilis at third base and bats seventh. Sutton was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI while playing third on Wednesday in Cleveland. He is 5-for-10 with four doubles and three RBIs in his last two games.

The removal of Ortiz also allows Jed Lowrie to move up to fifth in the lineup. Lowrie is tied with Michael Young of Texas for the American League lead in batting average against lefties. Both men are 23-for-53 (.434), but Lowrie has two more home runs and two more doubles than Young.

Lowrie has hit .348 (8-for-23) with a home run and five RBIs while batting fifth this year.

Carl Crawford, originally seventh in the lineup Saturday night, is bumped back up to sixth. He has gone 9-for-12 with six extra-base hits and seven RBIs in that spot over the last three games.

Mike Cameron gets the start in right. J.D. Drew, bothered by a sore right hamstring, may be available to start in the nightcap.

No Red Sox starter has faced Detroit lefty Andy Oliver in the majors. Several of the Tigers starters have seen Clay Buchholz, including many in a dominant Buchholz outing at Fenway Park just 11 days ago.

The Boston righty has a 2.23 ERA in five career starts against Detroit. The first five hitters in Detroit's lineup, including former batterymate Victor Martinez, are a combined 4-for-35 (.114) with eight strikeouts against Buchholz.

Here is how the lineup card looks for the opener:

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Kevin Youkilis, DH
Jed Lowrie, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Drew Sutton, 3B
Mike Cameron, RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Tigers
Austin Jackson, CF
Andy Dirks, LF
Brennan Boesch, DH
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Victor Martinez, C
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Don Kelly, RF
Ryan Raburn, 2B
Brandon Inge, 3B

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