Washington changes mind on using Guerrero in right

SAN FRANCISCO - Given a night to sleep on it, Ron Washington changed his mind.

In the moments after the Rangers' 11-7 loss to the Giants in Game 1 of the World Series, Washington said his plan was to run 35-year-old Vladimir Guerrero back out to rightfield for Game 2 despite two eighth-inning errors and his creaky knees.

When he was asked if he would reconsider using Guerrero in the field in Game 2, he said he wouldn't. Said Washington: "A couple balls got by him."

But when the Rangers' Game 2 lineup came out Thursday, Guerrero, who became the 10th outfielder in World Series history to commit two errors in one game, wasn't in it.

Nelson Cruz shifted from leftfield to rightfield and David Murphy, who had a pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 1, started in left.

Before Game 2, Washington said the Game 1 errors weren't a factor in Guerrero's subsequent lineup absence and that if the series returns to San Francisco, he'll be back in right.

"I just wanted to get him a game,'' Washington told Rangers beat reporters before the game, according to mlb.com. "If we come back here for Game 6 or Game 7, I'm going to play [Guerrero] in one game then, too. My main concern is getting Vlad's bat in there. He missed a couple of balls and that might have added some runs, but it didn't determine the outcome.''

Guerrero produced all season, hitting .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBIs. Washington did say that loyalty to a veteran played a role in his decision.

"Yes, I'm loyal to him,'' Washington said. "He's one of the reasons why we're here. We play two games in San Francisco and he's not going to touch the field? That's not going to happen.''

Guerrero, primarily a designated hitter since 2009, said after Game 1 that he wanted another crack at playing rightfield but that he wouldn't argue one way or the other with Washington.

"It is not my decision,'' Guerrero said. "Wash has to decide that. If I am here, I want to play. But it is his decision.''

On the eve of Game 1, Guerrero said he wouldn't have a problem playing right, especially in this stadium. "I'm comfortable there," the nine-time All-Star said. "I played in this field a lot with the Angels."

The decision Washington has had to make is similar to the one that confronted Yankees manager Joe Girardi in the 2009 World Series for the three games in Philadelphia: whether to play Hideki Matsui, whose knees were in worse shape than Guerrero's, in the outfield.

"I'm going to look at some things today, watch a little bit, see how he moves around and see if we think that it's physically possible for him to do it," Girardi said on the workout day before last year's Game 3. "You don't want to lose his bat. As productive as he's been for us this year, you don't want to lose his bat."

Ultimately, Girardi decided the risk was too great, though eventual World Series MVP Matsui did pinch hit in each of the three games in Philadelphia.

Pressed last night on his postgame comments the night before, Washington said it was manager's prerogative.

"I have the right to change my mind," he said to laughter. "I decided today that I wanted to go with Murph. If we come back here for Games 6 and 7, if it happens, you will see Vlad up in there one of those games and you'll see Murph there for the other one."