Yankees' Game 3 lineup has 2 major shakeups and leadoff hitter who crushes Rays' starter

The New York Yankees' Game 2 featured the same lineup as Game 1 against two different Tampa Bay Rays starting pitchers. It didn't work against either of them; Drew Rasmussen threw eight innings of a one-hitter, and Freddy Peralta (and Ian Seymour) quieted the group again in the follow-up.

Changes, which Aaron Boone claimed he entertained and rejected for Game 2, couldn't have been more necessary.

In the interest of trying something, the Yankees have benched two of their biggest offenders from their Monday night flop at the Trop. Ryan McMahon, who opened the Yankees' defensive half of the first inning with an error on a room service hop, will sit in favor of Jose Caballero, who gets his first start of the series and bats ninth. Despite a lack of platoon advantage, Anthony Volpe will play second base in Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s stead.

Huh. Almost like there are consequences for failure in the Yankees' clubhouse after all.

Yankees new leadoff hitter Trent Grisham has success against Nick Martinez

While Trent Grisham has not been the lineup force the Yankees were hoping he'd be after returning from injury for the postseason (to say the least), he's 4-for-6 with two walks in eight career plate appearances against Wednesday's Game 3 starter Nick Martinez. Three of those hits are doubles. It's the tiniest sample size, but it's something, and leading him off certainly represents more of a gut check move from Boone as opposed to a by-the-book choice.

Spencer Jones, after batting much closer to the top of the order in Games 1 and 2, has been bumped down to No. 8, sandwiched between the newcomers Volpe and Caballero.

Outside of Ben Rice, the former leadoff hitter who will now bat second, this Yankees lineup has been absent and vapid during their two-game regression in Tampa. Swinging early and often, they've put less than zero pressure on the Rays' aces and bullpen group. Conversely, the Rays lineup showed how to attack an opposing ace, making Cam Schlittler work in every at-bat (though plenty of of their traffic came from defensive disasters).

In order for the Yankees to capture their first win of the series, they'll have to approach cleanliness, and they'll need to work the count. In three opportunities against Martinez this year, they clogged the bases, but rarely cashed in, putting 25 runners on base in 16 2/3 frames while only scoring four runs.

If that familiar fate befalls them again on Wednesday, their season will likely come to an end in front of their home crowd, regardless of the personnel in the lineup.

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