Red Sox-Astros: Why Eduardo Nunez, Not Hanley Ramirez, Gets ALDS Game 1 Start

The Boston Red Sox’s lineup for Game 1 of their American League Division Series matchup with the Houston Astros surprised many.

Eduardo Nunez, who’s missed most of September with a right knee injury, will start as the designated hitter and bat second. Hanley Ramirez, meanwhile, will begin his afternoon on the bench at Minute Maid Park.

So why is Boston’s best pure power hitter not in the lineup to start the playoffs?

Watch Red Sox manager John Farrell answer that question in the above video from “Red Sox Gameday Live,” presented by DCU.

Thumbnail photo via Shanna Lockwood/USA TODAY Sports Images