Manuel Got Spooked

Hats off to the Yankees. A great win for them in Game 3, and they pulled the trigger and went with Sabathia on short rest for game 4, and now are in the drivers' seat with a 3-1 series lead. Where was Cliff Lee last night? Down 2-1 going into Game 4, I don't understand why the Pillies didn't go with their ace. He pitched a phenomenal Game 1 in New Yankee Stadium, so why not go with him in Game 4 to even things up? I'm sorry, but this one is on Charlie Manuel. I doubt that he came to Lee and asked him to pitch Game 4 of the World Series. What would Lee have said? "No coach, my arm needs a little more rest", or maybe he said "Sorry coach, maybe if it were a bigger game". I mean come on! How do you go with Blanton in this situation? The Phils were conservative, the Yanks weren't, and we all saw how it turned out.

So now we go in to Game 5, which is a must win for the Philles, but not really. This thing is over. Last night was the must win - the game the Phillies had to have to stay alive. You have to have your big guns going in a game like that, when the adrenalin makes up for the one day of rest missed. Sabathia showed he was ready, I'm sure Cliff Lee was ready, but clearly Charlie Manuel wasn't.