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)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Blanton came into this season with big expectations but he has struggled. So far in 2008, Blanton has a 5-12 record with an ERA of 4.96. Despite his struggles, he should strengthen the Phillies’ starting rotation.

In return, the A’s received Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman and Matthew Spencer. Earlier in the month, Oakland traded starting pitcher Rich Harden to the Chicago Cubs.

Here is a video with more information about the Joe Blanton trade:

Post from: Knuckle Curve