Another Star Filled Red Sox Lineup…..Sort Of

Game number 50 for the Red Sox goes tonight at Fenway and it is game three of a four game set against the underachieving Detroit Tigers.  The Boston Globe was courteous enough to post the Red Sox lineup, which we’ve included below and once again it is another star studded lineup….well sort of.

RED SOX (25-24)
Nava LF
Aviles SS
Gonzalez RF
Ortiz DH
Youkilis 1B
Middlebrooks 3B
Byrd CF
Shoppach C
Punto 2B

As you can see Bobby Valentine is once again using the $154 million dollar man, Adrian Gonzalez, in right field; perhaps the most complex and unpredictable right field in all of baseball at Fenway Park.  This is being done because of the conundrum that is plaguing this team over at third base also known as the Youkilis/Middlebrooks fiasco.

Having Gonzo in right allows both Youk and Middlebrooks to be in the lineup and given the noticeable absence of #15, for the time being we need the bat strength of all three players during any given game.  Is it a long-term solution? No, but for now let’s hope Gonzo doesn’t get hit by the you know what.

Nick Punto will once again get the call at second base and while he can’t hit his weight (.140 batting average), he can make some solid defensive plays, albeit not to the caliber we’re used to at second.

Shoppach is catching meaning the hot bat of Jarrod Saltalamacchia is on the bench, but if we need a pinch hitter I might know a guy who might be kinda sorta good at it. Remember last Saturday?