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Dodgers make bold lineup gamble ahead of Game 5 World Series showdown vs. Blue Jays

Well this is interesting.
Drew Koch
Drew Koch

Dodgers Way

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Mookie Betts / Sean M. Haffey/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays enter Game 5 of the 2025 World Series deadlocked at 2-2. The Dodgers dropped Game 4 of the Fall Classic by a final score of 6-2 and manager Dave Roberts hinted at some lineup changes heading in Wednesday's matchup against the Jays.

Roberts delivered with a shakeup at the top the Dodgers batting order. Shohei Ohtani will leadoff Game 5 as expected, but Mookie Betts has been moved down to No. 3 in the batting order. Starting catcher Will Smith will supplant Betts behind Ohtani and occupy the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Alex Call will also join LA's starting lineup for Game 5 and draws the start in left field. Andy Pages has been a disaster throughout the World Series, and he'll be replaced in center field by Kiké Hernandez.

Dodgers make bold lineup gamble in Game 5 of the World Series, move Mookie Betts down in the lineup

It is pretty wild that Roberts actually moved Betts down in the order as there was a lineup protection argument to put him ahead of Ohtani. However, the Dodgers' offense has been scuffling and Roberts is likely hoping that putting guys in new roles can spark something. The last time Betts hit third, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, was in 2021.

As for Pages, this was a move that was a long time coming. This postseason, Pages has just four hits in 50 at-bats and it has honeslty felt worse than that most of the time. While there is no guarantee whatsoever that Call will do much in the lineup, but there is no real opportunity cost swapping him in as it isn't like Pages was doing anything at the plate anyways.

Drew Koch

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.