Manuel gambles with Phillies starters

Inside the Game takes a second look at what Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was thinking yesterday when he made some tough yet interesting decisions:

Everything that Charlie Manuel touched last October turned to gold.

White gold, actually. That's what the Phillies' 2008 World Series rings are made of.

This is a new October for Manuel and one of his patented hunch moves, made in Game 2 of the National League division series yesterday, may come back to bite him.

Manuel used Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ in relief in the Phillies' 5-4 loss to Colorado. The decision may cost him the chance to use one or both as a starter in Game 3 tomorrow night in wintery Denver. And if Blanton or Happ can't come back and pitch tomorrow night, the Phillies will be forced to start Pedro Martinez.

For the record, Blanton, who threw 19 pitches, said he will be ready to go.

Happ also said he would be available, though he's more iffy. He threw just four pitches but one of them was driven off his left shin by Rockies' pinch-hitter Seth Smith.

Martinez also said he will be ready, if he gets the call. But is he ready for temperatures in the low 30s and the possibility of snow? Is his 37-year-old, surgically repaired shoulder ready for that? Is his breaking ball, more important than ever for him, ready for Denver's light air? Is he ready to dazzle again after losing some of his effectiveness in the wake of throwing 130 pitches on Sept. 13?

These all became questions of importance after Manuel used Blanton and Happ yesterday.

Blanton took over for sub-par Cole Hamels after the lefthander allowed four runs in five innings.

The Phils were down by 4-0 when Blanton came.

Why did Manuel go to a starting pitcher at that point?

The skipper would never admit it, but we believe he has little faith in his middle-innings relievers. For that matter, Manuel's faith in the whole bullpen can't be high. That's why he let Martinez finish that game and throw all those pitches on Sept. 13.

Manuel went to Blanton because he trusted him over the other guys.

There were other reasons:

Hamels put his team in a bind by not being able to deliver a lengthy start. He came out of the game because he was ineffective, not because his wife went into labor.

Manuel went to Blanton because of the ballpark. It only takes a couple swings to put together a rally in long-ball friendly Citizens Bank Park. The highest-scoring team in the NL could surely come back from a 4-0 deficit with 12 outs to go. Manuel wanted Blanton to keep the game close and give the offense a chance.

Understandable.

But Happ, too?

Manuel was clearly in a win-today mode. But was he guilty of taking today a little too far and jeopardizing tomorrow as he heads into the opposing team's ballpark with the best-of-five series tied a game apiece?

The skipper fielded repeated questions about his thinking.

"I felt like we were still in the game, and I felt like they weren't going to pitch very long, and I felt like we needed to hold them,'' Manuel said. "I was trying to win the game. I definitely felt like we had a run in us."

When asked if and why he believed that Blanton could come back and start tomorrow night, Manuel got testy. Remember, Blanton threw just 19 pitches and he probably would have thrown a bullpen session yesterday if he hadn't been an available reliever.

"Yes, I do [think Blanton can start tomorrow night]," Manuel said. "I played 20 years. I've been around the game 47 years. I've seen guys come back and pitch three or four days in a row who are starters. How about that?

"You can write whatever you want and you can voice your opinion. It can be done. Sometimes those are the chances you have to take. That's how you play it sometimes. I was making moves out there that if I could have picked some other things to do, I would have probably did it."

Other things? Yeah, like if he had last year's bullpen. Last year, the bullpen excelled in the playoffs. This year, it's as if Manuel is holding tryouts. Where's Vince Papale?

Blanton did keep the game close with a 1-2-3 sixth, and his mates carved out three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3. Maybe Manuel's confidence in his offense was going to pay off. In the top of the seventh, however, Blanton allowed a leadoff double and made a poor decision and threw to the wrong base, allowing runners to reach the corners with no outs.

Blanton's miscue aided in the Rockies' scoring their fifth run. Had he thrown to first, not third, on Clint Barmes' bunt and gotten the easy out, there would have been two outs when Dexter Fowler lifted a fly ball to right. With one out, Fowler's ball was a sacrifice fly.

After Blanton's miscue, Happ came in to face the left-handed hitting Smith. Boom. Pitch four clanged off his left shin and he left the game. Manuel could have used Scott Eyre in that situation, but he wanted his top situational lefty for later, and Eyre delivered when called upon.

Who knows, maybe Manuel will dodge this bullet and Blanton or Happ will be able to pitch, and pitch well, tomorrow. Maybe Pedro Martinez will bail his skipper out. But pitching is the most important part of the game and the Phillies' pitching is in questionable shape heading into Game 3.

Charlie Manuel went all-in yesterday, and in the process learned that it isn't 2008 anymore.

at 215-854-4983 or jsalisbury@phillynews.com.