Cleveland Guardians Have Released Game 1 Lineup Against Rays

The Cleveland Guardians announced their starting lineup for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field.

Steven Kwan will lead off in left field, followed by Jose Ramirez at third base, Chase DeLauter in right field and Jo Adell as the designated hitter. Nathaniel Lowe bats fifth at first base, with Travis Bazzana at second base, Patrick Bailey behind the plate, Petey Halpin in center field and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop.

Foster Griffin gets the ball as the starting pitcher, making his first career postseason start.

The Guardians defeated the Chicago White Sox in five games in the AL Division Series, completing a comeback after dropping the first two contests. The series win came Saturday at Progressive Field, leaving Cleveland with a short turnaround before facing the top-seeded Rays, who swept the New York Yankees.

Manager Stephen Vogt settled on a mostly familiar group but made adjustments at catcher and in the outfield after some uncertainty heading into the matchup.

Bailey, a switch-hitter, gets the nod behind the plate over Austin Hedges. Bailey has been productive at the plate in October and delivered a solo home run as a pinch-hitter in Game 4 of the ALDS that helped keep Cleveland’s season alive.

Hedges has contributed strong defense and game-calling earlier in the playoffs, but the Guardians are prioritizing the hotter bat in the postseason.

Halpin starts in center field for the second consecutive game, pushing Angel Martinez to the bench. Martinez was one of Cleveland’s better regular-season hitters but has gone 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts in the postseason so far.

Halpin earned the start after collecting two doubles in three at-bats during Game 5 of the ALDS. His plate approach and defensive ability in the outfield give the Guardians an extra option against the Rays’ pitching.

Having Martinez available as a switch-hitter off the bench also provides flexibility for late-game matchups.

On the mound, Griffin becomes the fourth different pitcher to start a game for Cleveland this October. He finished the regular season 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 158 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings.

Griffin worked 2 2/3 innings of relief in Game 3 of the ALDS, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven. Cleveland’s pitching staff has been a driving force through the playoffs, and the team is counting on him to provide length in Game 1.

A solid outing from the starter combined with enough run support from the lineup would put the Guardians in position to grab an early series lead against a Rays team that has been dominant all season.

First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.