Alex Avila will bat eighth in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Rangers on Thursday. Avila batted sixth Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Playing through a knee injury, the 24-year-old backstop is batting just .061 (2-for-33) during the postseason. Jhonny Peralta will move up to the sixth spot Thursday while Brandon Inge bats seventh and Ramon Santiago hits ninth.