Braden

Montgomery

Doyle gets the nod over Braden Montgomery, who has gone just 1-for-19 thus far in his playoff at-bats. The full lineup as the White Sox try not to blow a 2-0 lead and advance to the ALCS against the Rays: 1. Sam Antonacci LF, 2. Kyle Teel C, 3. Miguel Vargas 3B, 4. Munetaka Murakami 1B, 5. Andrew Benintendi DH, 6. Tristan Peters RF, 7. Chase Meidroth 2B, 8. Colson Montgomery SS and Doyle in center behind Sean Burke on the mound.

With left-hander Parker Messick taking the ball for the Guardians, Antonacci will begin this one on the bench for the White Sox. Fellow left-handed hitters Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters will also take a seat for the Southsiders. Here’s how Will Venable’s club will line up as they look to punch their ticket to the ALCS on Thursday: Chase Meidroth (2B), Randal Grichuk (LF), Miguel Vargas (3B), Munetaka Murakami (1B), Tommy Pham (DH), Brenton Doyle (CF), Kyle Teel (C), Braden Montgomery (RF) and Colson Montgomery (SS).

Montgomery put Chicago ahead for good by slicing an opposite-field double down the right-field line against Cleveland reliever Erik Sabrowski in the sixth inning. It was his lone hit in four at-bats, but it came at an opportune moment in the low-scoring affair at Progressive Field. The 23-year-old former first-round pick is just 3-for-15 to open the postseason. With the victory, the White Sox have a chance to punch their ticket to the ALCS when they host the Guardians for Game 3 at Rate Field on Wednesday night.

Peters suffered a bruised left shoulder after colliding with the outfield wall during Friday’s contest. He sat out Saturday’s game as a precautionary measure and will get an extra day on Sunday as well. It’s possible that he could be available off the bench if needed on Sunday afternoon. Braden Montgomery will start in his place in right field and will bat ninth against Tigers’ right-hander Troy Melton.

Montgomery is in 0-for-14 and 5-for-47 slumps at the moment. The switch-hitting Montgomery’s previous days off have mostly come against righties, but he’s sitting against a lefty tonight, with Tristan Peters starting in right. Montgomery is hitting just .134/.217/.244 against lefties, compared to .243/.345/.379 versus righties

Montgomery has been really scuffling at the plate lately, slashing a putrid .143/.259/.257 with two homers, seven RBI and a 9/11 K/BB ratio over 81 plate appearances in his last 21 games, so giving him a day off to clear his head seems to make sense. Tristan Peters will slide over to cover right field while Brenton Doyle draws a start in center and will bat ninth for the White Sox against Michael McGreevy and the Cardinals.

Teel did go 2-for-2 off the bench last night. His previous four starts since coming off the IL had all come batting ninth. With Teel batting second, Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami are sliding down one spot to third and fourth, respectively. Braden Montgomery, who has typically hit fifth and sixth since his callup, is batting ninth for the first time.

It was his sixth of the season -- he tagged a 92 mph Zebby Matthews cutter to right-center. It hasn’t been pretty for Montgomery as he’s hitting .208/.317/.330 over his last 30 games with just three homers and no stolen bases. Perhaps he’ll take a leap forward in the near future, but as things currently stand he’s probably not a lock to start in the playoffs if Chicago wins the AL Central. He certainly shouldn’t be in many fantasy lineups at this point.

Montgomery’s home run was his fifth of the season. He hit a solo shot off Christian Scott in the second inning. Montgomery got the day off Friday as he had been hitting .192 in his last 20 games. He returned with a big fly and a bases-loaded walk Saturday. Montgomery is hitting .235 with a .705 OPS and 32 RBI.

The switch-hitting 23-year-old outfielder has been struggling at the plate in recent weeks, hitting just .192/.306/.274 with one homer, 10 RBI and a 23/11 K/BB ratio over 85 plate appearances in his last 20 games, so perhaps giving him a day off to clear his head is a good idea. Tristan Peters will slide over and cover right field while Brenton Doyle draws a start in center and will bat sixth for the White Sox against Mets’ left-hander Sean Manaea.