Matt Beaty starts at first base for wild card game

After days of speculating, the Dodgers’ lineup for the Wild Card Game is finally here.

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Heading into today, there were only really two questions as to what Dave Roberts would do with his lineup. The first question was in regards to who would start at first base, as Max Muncy is likely going to miss the rest of the postseason with an elbow injury. Well, our answer is Matt Beaty.

Beaty played 21 games at first base in 2021, making 16 starts. The options at first base were slim, as it would be either him or Albert Pujols. Had a lefty been on the mound, we likely would have seen Pujols. But with it being a righty, Beaty is the guy. On the season, Beaty is hitting .261 with six of his seven home runs against right-handed pitchers.

The other question mark was about center field. The Dodgers opted to go with Cody Bellinger, sacrificing his bat in order to give them the best possible defense in the outfield. Gavin Lux is currently one of the hottest hitters on the team and has been recently playing the outfield, but in a one-game elimination you need your best defense possible.

Another player in the running was Chris Taylor, who has spent majority of his time in the outfield this season. However, the last month has been brutal for Taylor. Over his last 28 games, he’s hitting .115 with an OPS of .420.

How do you like the lineup tonight? Let us know in the comments!