As Phils Give Chase, Lee Strategy Hurts

PHILADELPHIA -- They have nothing in common but history. Chase Utley is a southern California dude with gel in his hair who speaks in cliches and has all the pizzazz of a resin bag. Reggie Jackson was the portrait of flamboyance, the straw that stirred the drink, the problem child who jarred the equilibrium. But today, they are joined in baseball lore by the five home runs each hit in a single World Series, with Utley's latest two shots propelling the Phillies to an 8-6 victory in Game 5 and renewed life for a repeat title.

"It's pretty cool. It's pretty surreal," Utley said with typical nonchalance. "I'm glad we got the win. It was a do-or-die game."

And how about being linked with Reggie, the original Mr. October, as the all-time solo Series slugger? Does that qualify Utley, given the late date, as Mr. November? "Obviously, it's great company. At some point, not right now, maybe I'll look back on it and see what kind of special moment it is," he said. "But right now our goal is to win two more games."

His manager, Charlie Manuel, was left to shrug. "Sometimes, I don't even like to talk about him because he don't want me to," he said. "Actually, he don't like for you [the media] to say a whole lot of things about him. But he's one of the most prepared and dedicated players I've ever been around. He has the most desire and passion to play the game that I've ever been around."

If only Manuel's pitching rotation was as locked in as Utley.

Now the conversation in offices across America -- those not run by Steve Carell, that is -- involves pitchers and rest. It's not a riveting topic, not that baseball is a sexy sport, but this is the new fulcrum upon which the World Series pivots. It's an old school vs. new school debate, and what's curious is, young-guy Joe Girardi represents the old way for the Yankees while old-dude Manuel embraces the new way for the Phillies.

Three days or four days between starts?

That is the question.

Monday night, Cliff Lee didn't dominate the Yankees as much as he survived them, allowing five runs in seven innings and gutting out a win. Not as deceptive with his breaking stuff as he was in the Series opener, he had enough to withstand a white-knuckle bullpen stint by a scuffling Ryan Madson -- no Brad Lidge, wisely -- and put the Phillies in Rocky Balboa mode as they head to New York down 3-2. Lee, of course, was held out of Game 4 because Manuel didn't trust his lack of experience on three days' rest. The Phillies opted for the inferior Joe Blanton, and they lost to the Yankees, who used CC Sabathia successfully on three days' rest. Advantage, Girardi, who is having no problem summoning the $161-million Sabathia twice, the $82.5-million A.J. Burnett and 15-year veteran Andy Pettitte each on three days' rest over the final four games of baseball's championship event.

"Well, I mean, this is the World Series," Girardi rationalized. "There is no baseball after the World Series for four or five months, so there will be plenty of time to rest."

I very much agree with the man, even if Burnett, operating on short rest, was ripped apart by the Phillies in a two-inning massacre. Utley, keeping his team alive, hit his fourth homer of the Series, a three-run shot in the first that propelled a potent lineup to a five-run lead over Burnett, who allowed six runs, four hits and four walks. Utley added another in the seventh, a solo shot off Phil Coke. The option for Burnett would have been journeyman Chad Gaudin, and anyone asking "Who's he?" is answering the question of why Girardi made the right call with three-day-rest urgency. If the Yankees can't squeeze one victory out of Burnett, Pettitte and Sabathia in the final three games, they don't deserve to win the Series. My guess is, this will end in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium when Alex Rodriguez follows fate's script, hits a monster home run off Pedro Martinez and gives Pettitte enough juice -- oops, considering he's a former 'roider, let's say support -- to build the bridge to Mariano Rivera.

"No, I don't think there was any correlation," Girardi said of Burnett on short rest. "He just lacked command to night similar to what he did in Anaheim. But he was able to recover better there. Tonight he just wasn't able to get it going."

Nor will Burnett's rough start affect Girardi's decision on Pettitte. "We're going to check with Andy [Tuesday] when we work out at 4 p.m., and then I'll announce it then," he said. "Physically I've got to see how he is. He threw a side [session on Monday] and felt good."

Besides, hasn't Manuel already played the wrong hand in this poker game? Despite Burnett's issues, and the possibility of a fatigued Pettitte encountering his own troubles Wednesday against a rested Martinez, the sense remains strong that Manuel may have blown the Series by refusing to start Lee in Game 4. If for no other reason, the Phillies' ace would have been available to start, with one extra day of rest, in a Game 7. Now, Lee only can be part of a relief free-for-all Thursday night with only two days' rest after his 112-pitch stint, forcing Manuel to likely start a soft, mentally wrecked Cole Hamels if there is a deciding game in the Bronx.

Gulp.

And to think the Philadelphia Inquirer had to apologize for running a Macy's ad that congratulated the Phillies for winning back-to-back titles. Obviously, Macy's hasn't watched Hamels. A lethal force last autumn as MVP of the World Series and National League Championship Series, the 25-year-old lefty has turned into the newest snack food in the Tastykake bakery empire. Take your pick, Kandy Kakes or Krimpets. Hamels is mushier than anything on the convenience-store shelves. It's disconcerting enough that he is 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in his four postseason starts, a total reversal from his 4-1, 1.80 ERA brilliance of 2008. What's worse is his attitude, which falls somewhere between a moper and a quitter. There isn't much in the way of toughness, such as in Game 3, when he retired 10 of the first 11 batters, then melted down when he didn't get a call on 3-2 pitch to Mark Teixeira. Next thing you knew, Rodriguez was blasting his double-ruled-homer off the Fox camera in right field, and Hamels would depart quickly after another failed start. Afterward, he alarmed his Phillies bosses by uttering words that no major-leaguer should say after Game 3 of a World Series -- or, really, ever.

"I can't wait for it to end," Hamels said of his 2009, which included a 10-11 record and 4.32 ERA in the regular season. "It's been mentally draining. At year's end, you just can't wait for a fresh start."

Said Manuel: "I was totally surprised with what he said. I don't know exactly what he meant by that. But at the same time, I understand his frustration. When I look at him sometimes, he was the MVP of the World Series last year. If you stop and look at it, he's been a top-rated pitcher ever since he's come up. This year has been tough on him. He's kind of had a weird year. What he's going through right now, it's going to be an experience, because he's going through the part where he's failed.

"I would never question his mental toughness. I think at times he gets a little upset with himself, but as far as his mental toughness, this guy, he's mentally tough. I still think all that [quality stuff] is there, and he'll get back there [to being a top-notch pitcher]. And I think this is something new to him. Every guy goes through it."

After the game, Hamels sought to clarify his remarks. In the NL playoffs, he had to do a similar about-face after shooting a dirty look at Utley, who had committed a throwing error. "Sometimes I might not say the best things or the smartest things, but I've learned and am learning," Hamels said. "I wasn't able to sleep the past couple of nights because of it."

Can he retrieve his lost grit in two days? "I really do hope I have that opportunity," Hamels said of Game 7. "It's one of those games where you can redeem yourself."

"I wouldn't be hesitant to start him, but we'll see how the series goes," Manuel said. "He showed you for three innings that he can pitch. I look at that. If he can do it for three innings, why can't he keep going? That's kind of how I look at it."

What happened to Hamels? He hasn't developed a effective curveball to augment his fastball and changeup, a weakness the hitters have figured out. He also had a sore elbow in spring training that probably has bothered him since, at least more than he has let on. Still, the Phillies expected more from his heart. "I think he had a short winter. I think he was very active last winter as far as going around and receiving awards, going and doing things," Manuel said. "And then all of a sudden this year, he struggles. It's been a big change for him in how people look at him or his status and things like that and people's demands of him. This winter, he needs to get a clear head and come back with the ideal of thinking more about baseball and really concentrate and stay focused on his pitching. This guy was one of the most focused guys that I've seen in a long time, and he's still got that same ability. There's no reason why he can't be the same pitcher that we project, and I'm sure he will be."

But for now, he is a head case. It's something Manuel should have weighed heavily when he made the call to save Lee and leave Game 4 for Blanton, who allowed four runs in six innings and put pressure on uptight teammates who made fundamental blunders and struggled to score off Sabathia. Manuel was hesitant because Lee never has started on three days' rest, has arm woes two years ago and, at 6-3 and 190 pounds, doesn't have the body strength of the 6-7, 300-pound Sabathia. "We're going to experiment with Cliff Lee in the World Series?" Manuel said. "Also, his workload and everything and his routine. I'll throw a pitcher out there during the season, and if I don't have him in his role or something like that, like you guys ask me about that all the time -- what about if I start messing with Cliff Lee and take him out of his routine and his days' rest and everything?

"I've seen it both ways. I've seen it work, and I've seen it not work. If we would have pitched Lee [on Sunday] and he would have won, we'd still need to win [Monday]. And who's to say who's to say he might not pitch again."

But only an inning or two -- as opposed to multiple innings. Girardi would have Sabathia and ride him into the sixth or seventh. This doesn't necessarily mean Girardi is outmanaging the country fellow; it means he is taking advantage of the best pitching rotation money can buy. What Manuel has done is blow a wonderful opportunity to match Girardi's rotation the best he can, with a pitcher delivering an all-time performance.

"What's that old saying, 'Spahn and Sain, pray for rain?' Got an off-day tomorrow, maybe it'll rain the next day," Manuel said, wryly. "I can get Lee in on three days, like you guys are talking about. No, I look at it as the seventh game would be on his day to throw in the bullpen, and I'll see what goes on from there. I'll talk to him about what he thinks about if he can pitch at all or something."

"As for my availability, I'm available," said Lee, who has said all along that he's up for any situation. "I think I'll be fine. You're going to have to talk to Charlie. I don't know what his plans are. I'll be ready to pitch whenever they want me to."

Point is, Lee feels fine. As Girardi said, "I think the important thing on short rest is you have to know how your pitcher physically is feeling." Girardi went with the three-day hunch. Manuel did not.

Remember that if -- and when -- than Yankees are celebrating another World Series championship. And when the Phillies are relinquishing theirs.