David Ortiz Will Play 1B In World Series: Big Papi To Start At First Base For Game 3 Over Mike Napoli at Busch Stadium

The Boston Red Sox knew that David Ortiz would be the designated hitter when the team played Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park, but when the DH goes away for game 3 at Busch Stadium, the team still plans on having him in the lineup playing first base in some if not all of those games.

According to SI.com, manager John Farrell did not say if he would start Ortiz in every game in St, Louis, but he stated that he would play at first base in the series and that means a start in Game 3. Ortiz has played first base plenty of times in his career, but this season he has not done much of that and while he isn't hitting great in the postseason with a .200 average and three home runs with eight RBIs, his bat is one that John Farrell needs to have in the lineup.

Ortiz's grand slam back in Game 2 of the ALCS helped propel the Red Sox to a victory and now he will be needed once again in the World Series, as he is the only player left on the Sox from that 2004 series against the Cardinals. The games in St. Louis will be for Games 3, 4 and 5 and they are on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and the Sox come into the series having won eight straight games in the championship round after sweeping both the Cardinals in 2004 and the Rockies in 2007. The two teams have played against each other four times in the World Series and they each come in with 97 wins after being the best teams in their leagues.

The Cardinals and the Sox are the first teams since the Yankees and the Braves back in 1999 to be in the World Series with the best records and according to ESPN.com, the Sox are the first since back in 1990 to make it to the championship after being in last place a season before. It's been an amazing turnaround for the Red Sox and it all started back when they blew that lead in 2011 and after the disaster in 2012, John Farrell was hired and helped steer things in the right direction and now they are ion the World Series.

The game 1 matchup on Wednesday had Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright going at it, while in Game 2 it was John Lackey and Michael Wacha. That second matchup was interesting, as Lackey was coming off his game against Justin Verlander, while Wacha was lights out as a rookie, becoming the first rookie player to have two scoreless starts in on series after doing it against the Dodgers.