Experience could serve Phillies' Cliff Lee well

For the first time in three years, Phillies lefthander Cliff Lee has one thing he hasn't enjoyed entering the previous two postseasons – stability.

On July 29, 2009 Lee was traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Phillies, where he was the major reason in leading them back to the World Series.

Then he was traded after the offseason to Seattle, dealt in midseason to Texas and returned to the World Series with the Rangers last year.

This season, of course, Lee has been with the Phillies the entire season after signing as a free agent and he is hoping for another extendeded run with one exception.

After being on the losing World Series teams the previous two years, Lee naturally is looking for a different ending.

More than the stability, the fact that this is his third consecutive postseason is comforting to Lee.

"Obviously the first time (in the postseason) you really don't know what to expect and each time you kind of know what it's going to be like somewhat," Lee said during a Saturday afternoon press conference at Citizens Bank Park. "So I guess, it does help, just experiencing that."

Lee begins his third consecutive year in the playoffs when he is the starting pitcher in Sunday's Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

For the Phillies, Lee was 4-0 in the 2009 postseason, including 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in two World Series starts against the New York Yankees.

Last season, Lee continued that success in the first two rounds, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in the American League Division Series win over Tampa Bay and then 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in the American League Championship Series against the Yankees.

The World Series was different story. Lee was 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in two starts against the San Francisco Giants.

That said, his seven postseason wins are the most in Major League Baseball from 2004-10. He is 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA in ten postseason starts.

Lee, who was 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA this season, has among the most relaxed demeanor in baseball. Whether it's before a postseason game or a matchup with Marlins in April, he seems to stay the course.

"I think I've been the same for a while," he said. "I think after '07, going through that year and struggling, it kind of made those traits a little bit stronger maybe."

In 2007 he struggled with the Cleveland Indians going 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA. The next year Lee went 22-3 with the Indians and won the American League Cy Young award.

"But even before that (2007 season) I felt like I was pretty laid back and just kind of go with the flow type mentality," Lee said. "But definitely after going through that year, I started focusing more on controlling what I could control."

Lee also doesn't feel that his Game 2 opponent, Cardinals righthander Chris Carpenter, will have a problem coming back on three days rest.

The Phillies lefthander cautioned that every pitcher is different

"I think we should all be able to do it," Lee said. "But he's doing it and I expect him to be his normal self."

And if Lee is his normal self, then it could be a long day for the Cardinals hitters.

Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225, mnarducci@phillynews.com, or @sjnard on Twitter.