"I think Pedro Martinez showed if you can change speeds and mix in your fastball and locate good, that you can have success against them," Manuel said, alluding to Martinez's seven shutout innings in the Phillies' 2-1 loss in Game 2. "And I think Blanton, not only is he a very aggressive pitcher, but he's that type of pitcher."
The decision came down to Blanton or J.A. Happ, but Happ came out of the bullpen the first two games against the Dodgers. Blanton is fresher and, besides, Manuel seems in favor of using the lefthanded Happ as a reliever against the Dodgers. So the choice of Blanton came as no big surprise.
"I still liked the fact we could keep J.A. in the bullpen, too," Manuel said.
Odd as it seems considering the burly righthander was one of the Phillies' two most consistent starters the last four months of the regular season, this will be Blanton's first postseason start in 2009. He had a start in last year's NLCS against the Dodgers and gave up three runs in five innings while walking four.
Romero looks ahead
Recovering from recent surgery to repair a torn tendon near his left elbow, J.C. Romero said it has been more difficult watching his Phillies teammates on television rather than helping them as a reliever.
"I hate it," he said yesterday.
Romero said his orthopedic surgeon, David W. Altcheck, told him the tendon was close to being completely torn.
"Even the doctor said he didn't know how I was throwing a week before the surgery," he said.
Romero said he hopes to be ready for the start of next season.
"My goal is to be ready to go when spring training starts, although I may go a little slower because I don't want to get ahead of myself," he said. "My goal is to break camp next year with the team and be ready to go."
Stuff happens
According to Manuel and Dodgers manager Joe Torre, there's probably no deep, dark secret why Chase Utley made throwing errors in each of the first two games of the NLCS.
"I think it's just a matter of he made two bad throws," Manuel said. "I have all the faith in the world in him. But that's going to happen. That can happen to anybody that plays the game. That's part of it."
Torre said he's not counting on Utley's continuing with his wayward throws.
"If I was Charlie, I wouldn't be concerned about him," he said. "He's too tough of a kid and he's too good a player. Stuff like that happens. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason why it happens, but the nature of the game is what it is."
Extra bases
In six postseason games, the Phillies are batting .265, and four players - Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Carlos Ruiz and Jayson Werth - have combined to drive in 27 of the 29 runs they've scored. . . . The Dodgers are batting .282 in five postseason games while their pitching staff has a 3.00 ERA compared with the Phils' 3.40.
Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com
