Dodgers' Roberts plans to shuffle struggling lineup for Game 3

After watching his team scuffle for two games in Boston, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is ready to shake things up when they return home.

The Dodgers find themselves down 2-0 in the World Series after losing Game 2 to the Red Sox, who effectively neutralized their opponents' bats over the last two nights, including a brilliant six-inning performance from left-hander David Price. L.A. recorded just three hits Wednesday, all coming in the fourth inning; Los Angeles' final 15 batters were retired in order by a combination of Price and three relievers.

Roberts trotted out the same starting lineup in the first two games, but despite the team's ugly performance at Fenway Park, he says his changes for Friday night will be matchup-related.

"We're going to shuffle (the lineup) up for Game 3," Roberts said, according to ASAP Sports, "but it's not because of necessarily performance, it's kind of who the starting pitcher for those guys is. But these are the guys that got us here, and we're going to ride them out."

In each of the series' first two games, the Dodgers fielded a right-handed-heavy lineup to counter Chris Sale and Price on the mound. Brian Dozier, who had been stapled to the bench for most of the postseason, led off both contests, while David Freese started at first base. Lefty sluggers Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, and Joc Pederson, meanwhile, entered late as substitutes once Boston's southpaws were out of the game.

With the Red Sox sending right-hander Rick Porcello to the mound in Game 3, Roberts' shuffling could reinsert all three of those left-handed hitters into the starting lineup.

Yasmani Grandal could also start behind the plate over Austin Barnes, who's taken over catching duties since Grandal had a rough NLCS. The two catchers have combined to go 0-for-5 over the first two games of this series.