By Phil Rogers
PHILADELPHIA -- Hoping for another dominating performance from left-hander Cliff Lee, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Friday he will start Joe Blanton in Game 4. He considered starting Lee on three days' rest, which would have allowed him to also possibly pitch a Game 7 on three days' rest, but decided to go with Blanton.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi meanwhile was noncommital about his rotation beyond Saturday's Game 3, in which Andy Pettitte will face the Phillies' Cole Hamels. He seems to be leaning toward using CC Sabathia on three days' rest in Game 4 but may not reveal whether he's going with Sabathia or a fourth starter (Chad Gaudin or Joba Chamberlain) until after Game 3.
"We'll continue to talk to CC and [see] how our guys are doing,'' Girardi said. "We'll talk about it as a staff the next couple days and decide what we're going to do.''
A.J. Burnett, the winning pitcher in Game 2, said he would be fine pitching on short rest if Girardi wanted to bring him back for Game 5.
PHILADELPHIA -- Hoping for another dominating performance from left-hander Cliff Lee, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Friday he will start Joe Blanton in Game 4. He considered starting Lee on three days' rest, which would have allowed him to also possibly pitch a Game 7 on three days' rest, but decided to go with Blanton.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi meanwhile was noncommital about his rotation beyond Saturday's Game 3, in which Andy Pettitte will face the Phillies' Cole Hamels. He seems to be leaning toward using CC Sabathia on three days' rest in Game 4 but may not reveal whether he's going with Sabathia or a fourth starter (Chad Gaudin or Joba Chamberlain) until after Game 3.
"We'll continue to talk to CC and [see] how our guys are doing,'' Girardi said. "We'll talk about it as a staff the next couple days and decide what we're going to do.''
A.J. Burnett, the winning pitcher in Game 2, said he would be fine pitching on short rest if Girardi wanted to bring him back for Game 5.
Phillies' Joe Blanton during Game 4 on the NLCS. (Getty Images)
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