PHILADELPHIA -- What we have here are two dramatically different ways of handling a postseason pitching rotation. Before next weekend, we will all know which way worked better.
The first test will be Game 4 of the 2009 World Series, scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. The Yankees, leading 2-1 in the Series, will send out their ace, CC Sabathia, pitching on three days' rest. The Phillies will counter with Joe Blanton, their fourth starter, who will be pitching on 12 days' rest.
Blanton hasn't pitched since the National League Championship Series, although he worked capably in his one start there. Blanton's career numbers against the Yankees are not at all encouraging, but he did pitch very well in the 2008 postseason, helping the Phils to a World Series championship. He won starts in both the Division Series and the World Series.
Sabathia, on the other hand, spent October working full-time and then some. He has had four postseason starts this autumn, compiling a 3-1 record with a 1.52 ERA. He has already worked once on short rest -- in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Angels. That was another superb performance by Sabathia, and it turned the ALCS in the Yankees' favor. Sabathia, 2-0 in that series, was voted the Most Valuable Player. He richly deserved that award, not only for being supremely effective, but for being tireless.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Saturday that Sabathia would be his Game 4 starter.
"I think the important thing on short rest is you have to know how your pitcher physically is feeling," Girardi said. "[Sabathia] went through all his work [Friday] and we talked to him today, and he threw a pretty good game after short rest last time, and he had some extra days off.
"CC has pitched extremely well for us this year, and when we went into this, we didn't know exactly where we were going to be at. If you announce it after, people then start to question is there something crazy going on. No, we wanted to see how he came out today, how physically he came out today, and he physically feels good. Chad [Gaudin] could start Game 5. I'm not saying we're going with A.J. [Burnett] in Game 5. But CC feels good, and we've decided to go with him Game 4."
PIVOTAL GAME
In the past 20 years, 12 teams have had a 2-1 lead in the World Series. All but two went on to win it all.
Year
Up 2-1
Opp.
Series result
2008
PHI
TB
Won in five
2006
STL
DET
Won in five
2003
NYY
FLA
Lost in six
2002
ANA
SF
Won in seven
2001
ARI
NYY
Won in seven
2000
NYY
NYM
Won in five
1997
FLA
CLE
Won in seven
1996
ATL
NYY
Lost in six
1995
ATL
CLE
Won in six
1993
TOR
PHI
Won in six
1992
TOR
ATL
Won in six
1991
MIN
ATL
Won in seven
In fact, Girardi said that he had not ruled out using Burnett on three days' rest for Game 5 and Andy Pettitte on three days' rest for Game 6, should that be necessary. Why?
"Well, I mean, this is the World Series," Girardi said. "There is no baseball after the World Series for four or five months, so there will be plenty of time to rest. A.J. was pretty good on short rest last year, if you look up his numbers. He actually shut us down on short rest last year. And they physically feel good."
It is somewhat difficult picturing the Yankees using the 37-year-old Pettitte on short rest, but you can understand the impulse in that direction.
And if this Series goes seven games, for the finale the Yankees would probably use Sabathia on short rest yet again.
"We feel that physically if that's what we decide to do, he'd be able to handle it," Girardi said.
On the other side of this issue is Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. He has the one pitcher who has been even better than Sabathia in this postseason. That would be Cliff Lee, who outpitched Sabathia in a classic pitching matchup in Game 1 of this Series. In four starts in this postseason, Lee is 3-0 with a miniscule 0.54 ERA.
Would the Phillies use him on short rest in Game 4? No, Manuel said, because Lee had never pitched on short rest before, and the Phillies did not want to risk subjecting him to the possibility of injury.
That's a long way from using Sabathia on short rest on a regular basis. In the Yankees' defense, Sabathia may not be a better pitcher than Lee at this moment, but he may be the most durable pitcher in the game.
"I said it all postseason, I've had enough rest the past two months to be able to feel comfortable enough to go out there and pitch on three days' rest," Sabathia said. "I told Joe that at the beginning of the playoffs: 'I'm here and available whenever you need me.'"
So Sabathia will go in Game 4 tonight for the Yankees, while Lee will start in Game 5 on Monday night for the Phillies. Lee's mound opponent for that game has not yet been announced, but it could be another fellow pitching on short rest -- Burnett.
Some of this may be happening simply because the Phillies feel more comfortable starting Blanton than the Yankees feel about starting Gaudin. But there is still a notable difference of opinion about using pitchers on short rest.
"As far as short rest, it's not necessarily something that you want to do a lot of during the course of a long season," Girardi said. "But we're not in a long season."
Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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