Lineups come out every day and I look at them every day and I give very little thought to them as long as they include the sorts of players who are appropriate to the game. On Opening Day everyone important should be playing. Between then and the last day of the season it can be almost anyone depending on health and how much rest they need. In the playoffs it should be the best possible players once again, adjusted for platoon stuff. Usually it all washes by. Managers, our criticisms of them notwithstanding, tend to be pretty good at their jobs. The Dodgers lineup for Game 6 of the NLCS caught my eye, though, because I can’t remember ever seeing a lineup in which the players were listed, basically, in defensive order. Really, with the exception of the catcher not batting first, have you ever seen a lineup with the defensive positions arranged like this? I haven’t. It’s fun, though! 1. David Freese (R) 1B 2. Max Muncy (L) 2B 3. Justin Turner (R) 3B 4. Manny Machado (R) SS 5. Cody Bellinger (L) CF 6. Chris Taylor (R) LF 7. Yasiel Puig (R) RF 8. Austin Barnes (R) C 9. Hyun-Jin Ryu (R) P For the Brewers, things are a bit more conventional. Kudos to Craig Counsell for not putting an askterisk or a question mark next to Wade Miley, though, which I presume means he’ll last for more than one batter: 1. Lorenzo Cain (R) CF 2. Christian Yelich (L) RF 3. Ryan Braun (R) LF 4. Travis Shaw (L) 2B 5. Jesus Aguilar (R) 1B 6. Mike Moustakas (L) 3B 7. Erik Kratz (R) C 8. Orlando Arcia (R) SS 9. Wade Miley (L) P Is it the last Brewers lineup of the season? Tune in tonight to find out. Follow @craigcalcaterra<doc-sep>Friday night in the MLB world brings us Game 6 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers. The Dodgers fell behind, 2-1, in the series, but won in 13 innings in Game 4 and took Game 5 with authority. They are now one game away from their second straight pennant. The Brewers return home needing to win two games in order to secure their first pennant since 1982 and first-ever NL pennant. Here's how to watch the game, which starts at 8:39 p.m. ET. You can also stream the game on fuboTV (Try for free). Now, onto the lineups: Visiting Dodgers Let's get weird (again!). Freese hasn't started in the leadoff slot all year. He has only started in the leadoff spot three times in his career, last in 2016. Also of note, Roberts had been leaving Muncy and Bellinger on the bench against lefty starters and then bringing them in once a right-hander was in the game during the playoffs. That changed in Game 5 with both in the starting lineup, and it remains that way here. Barnes gets his third straight start in the wake of all Yasmani Grandal's struggles both at the plate and behind it (and sliding feet first into first base). Home Brewers This is the same personnel the Brewers used in Game 2 against Ryu, though Shaw was lower in the order in that game and this time around is bumped up to the cleanup spot. The actual thing to watch here is the top of the order. Cain is hitting .250/.280/.375 this series and Yelich is hitting an atrocious .150/.292/.150. The offense is much more than these two, but they are what makes it tick. Without them stepping up, it seems unlikely the Brewers can win. Also, many eyes will be on Miley after the one-batter stunt in Game 5.<doc-sep>
If nothing else, we will see history made tonight. Never before in the history of the ALCS/NLCS has a pitcher started three times in six games. Wade Miley will accomplish that tonight at Miller Park, although it probably deserves and asterisk. Wade looks to help the Milwaukee Brewers (2-3) extend their NLCS match with the Los Angeles Dodgers (3-2) to seven games. Hyun-Jin Ryu goes for LA, and the Crew reached Ryu for two runs in 4.1 innings, on six hits, in game two. Miley had a scoreless 5.2 innings on two hits and no walks, with three strikeouts. In Miley’s “opener” outing Thursday he walked the only batter he faced, but he didn’t score either. Interestingly, including Miley, the Brewers have four left handed bats in tonight’s line-up against the lefty Ryu. Over the course of this past season Ryu had an OPS against of .592, with an xFIP of 2.81, against right handed bats. Against lefties, it was an OPS of .720 and xFIP of 4.21. The move gets Travis Shaw back in the lineup, hitting fourth, as Milwaukee tries to get more pop at the plate. And just in case the Brewers remove Miley after one batter again, David Freese is the lead-off hitter so that he gets an at bat against the lefty. Los Angeles Dodgers Tonight's GM. 6 Dodger lineup at Brewers: Freese 1B Muncy 2B Turner 3B Machado SS Bellinger CF Taylor LF Puig RF Barnes C Ryu P#Dodgers | #NLCS pic.twitter.com/7cPJYtPpsM — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 19, 2018 Milwaukee Brewers