Joe Blanton to Start Game 4 of World Series
October 30, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under Playoffs, Stats and Analysis
For Game 4 of the 2009 World Series, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had a dilemma. Should he start ace Cliff Lee on short rest or should he go with Joe Blanton? As it turns out, Manuel has decided to go with Blanton.
Lee has been very good in the postseason but he has no professional experience starting on only three days rest. Apparently, Manuel didn’t want to see whether or not Lee can be effective on short rest. Instead, Lee will get the baseball to start Game 5.
Going with Blanton isn’t without risk. Against the New York Yankees in four starts, Blanton has an ERA of 8.18 and a record of 0-3. Both Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have had much success off of Blanton.
The Phillies are banking on Blanton’s recent success in Game 4 outing. In fact, last year in the World Series, Blanton got the win against the Tampa Bay Rays to help the Phillies extend to a 3-1 series lead.
The Yankees are likely to make the opposite decision. CC Sabathia, who has already started on short rest during this year’s postseason, will probably start Game 4 on three days of rest.
Joe Blanton - Philadelphia Phillies (Image: Zuma Press)
