It's time for Charlie Manuel to set his starting pitching rotation for the NL division series. And if the Phillies draw the Rockies in the 1st round, Pedro Martinez may be the odd man out.
The manager said before last night's game against Houston that if Colorado is the Phillies' opponent in the National League division series, he will take into account the Rockies' struggles against lefthanded pitching.
Manuel also noted that J.A. Happ pitched well against the Rockies in his outing against them Aug. 5, when the rookie lefty pitched a dominating, four-hit shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
The Rockies are batting .254 against lefthanders and .261 overall.
While there's nothing definitive in that statement, one can't argue with Manuel's logic here.
With Pedro in the bullpen, the Phillies would be looking at a starting rotation of Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, and J.A, Happ.
Phillies Notes: Manuel hints of Phillies' playoff...
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