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Alex Avila scratched from World Series Game 4
Alex Avila will not start in tonight's pivotal Game 4 of the World Series. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila will not start behind home plate in tonight's do-or-die Game for of the World Series, Tigers Manager Jim Leyland told reporters.
The catcher has been struggling with a sore right arm since being dinged by a foul tip in the San Francisco Giants' 8-3 victory in the first game of the series. Gerald Laird will fill in for Avila in the lineup, but neither has had much success against the Giants so far in the World Series. Avila is 1 for 7 in the three games, while Laird has gone 0 for 3.
The Giants will win the world Series in a sweep if they top the Tigers tonight.
Alexander Abnos is a reporter and podcast producer. He's covered soccer since '04 and produced radio since '11. He's in a band and has a cat.