Posted 2009/10/30 at 8:25 pm EDT
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 30, 2009 (Reuters) — The Philadelphia Phillies will not try to get three World Series starts from Cliff Lee and will instead put Joe Blanton on the mound for Sunday's Game Four, the team said on Friday.
Lee shut the Yankees down in the opener on Wednesday but the lefty is not used to pitching on three days' rest and manager Charlie Manuel said he preferred to see him return to the mound for Game Five on Monday.
The series, tied at 1-1 after two games in New York, resumes on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park for the first of three games in Philadelphia.
Cole Hamels, last year's World Series MVP for the Phillies, starts for the home team against New York's Andy Pettitte, whose 16 wins top the all-time list for postseason victories.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have not ruled out the possibility of using Game One starter CC Sabathia on Sunday and again on Thursday to get two more starts from the big left-hander if the best-of-seven Fall Classic goes the distance.
Phillies manager Manuel said Lee had never pitched on three days' rest but said he might be able to use Lee in relief in a Game Seven.
"If it goes seven games ... that would be on his bullpen day, and he might be able to pitch or whatever. But I don't think he's ready for it (a start) on three days' rest. That's really pushing him."
Blanton was 12-8 with a 4.05 earned run average this season. Against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, he gave up four runs in six innings.
New York manager Joe Girardi said he was also contemplating a quick return for A.J. Burnett, who won Thursday's game 3-1.
"It's just physically how players are doing," he said.
Manuel said the Phillies were dealing with a flu bug that had weakened some players, including Game Two starter Pedro Martinez.
"We're trying to contain it. There's some guys that have had some flu symptoms or had the flu," the manager said.
"I don't know how we're going to deal with that. We've got to play. So that's kind of how I look at it."
Manuel thought the Phillies' attack might get healthy with the return to their home stadium.
"I like the energy that our fans bring to the ballpark, and I like how our ballpark is made, because it seems like you're kind of in a close confinement, like everything kind of flows off of the electricity and energy and everything like that.
"And I think when we're down, I think our fans are still making enough noise and everything to keep us going."
(Writing by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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