CHICAGO: The Indians’ defense in left field could be a bit bumpier — or better yet, windier — in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday night.
But that might be a risk they’re willing to take to keep Carlos Santana’s bat in the lineup.
Both the Indians and Cubs have looked at creative options in left field to keep all of their sluggers in the lineup. With the series shifting to Wrigley Field and thus National League rules for Games 3, 4 and 5, Santana and the Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber are suddenly without a natural spot in the order.
Santana has four innings of experience in the outfield at the major-league level in his career. Inserting him into left field in Game 3 of the World Series is a risky proposition. But it’s a risk Indians manager Terry Francona might take.
“I have anxiety about it,” Francona said. “I don’t know how else to say it, and if he messes a ball up, I’ll take responsibility because I don’t think it’s fair to put it on him.
“But you try to figure out, ‘OK, what’s our best way to win?’ If we don’t play him out there, that’s the best way to have nobody second-guessing me. I don’t know if that’s the best way to win, so that’s probably the criteria is to try and put your team in the best position to win.”
Santana could have his hands full. Wrigley Field is known to be an adventure when the wind is blowing out toward the outfield. The forecast is calling for winds between 25-40 mph, which will be the Wrigley Field effect at its full power. It could make it an even more difficult undertaking.
Santana took fly balls in left field in Cleveland just before the World Series began. He also spent time with bench coach Brad Mills at Wrigley Field on Thursday night during a workout.
“We’ve talked to him about seeing balls off the bat, being able to move with balls off the bat,” Mills said. “We might have to play him maybe a little deeper or something along those lines, just to have him come in ... he has more time to read the ball that way.”
The Indians haven’t made out their lineup for Game 3 yet, but Francona, Santana and Mills all talked about trying Santana in left field. It appears as they’re leaning that way, though Francona mentioned that if Santana doesn’t believe he can do it, they won’t pull the trigger. To this point, Santana has said he’s willing to try.
“I’ll be excited, because this will be my first time, especially in the World Series,” Santana said. “It’s hard, but I’ll be excited and happy for that, keeping me in the lineup.”
The Cubs, meanwhile, won’t be able to do the same with Schwarber, who returned for the World Series after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in April. The Cubs had wanted to keep his power bat in the lineup, especially after he drove in two runs in Game 2, but Schwarber hasn’t been medically cleared to play in the outfield. That means he’ll be relegated to pinch-hit duties until the series potentially returns to Cleveland.
The Indians don’t mind. Francona texted Cubs president Theo Epstein, joking, “I think you should be a little extra careful with him.”
The Cubs didn’t have much of a choice. The Indians do, and it appears they could be aggressive with it.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ.