If Mother Nature cooperates, Game 5 of the World Series will continue tonight at Citizens Bank Park.
If not, we wait.
But whenever their teams play, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon will have decisions to make.
The Phillies will be coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 2-2 game. The Rays are due to have righthander Grant Balfour on the mound, and the Phils pitcher Cole Hamels leading off at the plate.
Balfour might not pitch. Hamels will not hit.
Neither Manuel nor Maddon tipped his hand during teleconferences with reporters yesterday after they learned that Game 5, suspended Monday because of heavy rain, would not be played last night because of inclement weather.
If Balfour or another righthander is on the mound, Manuel will use one of his lefthanded bats - Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs or Geoff Jenkins - to hit for Hamels.
Dobbs is his strongest bat, but it seems unlikely Manuel would send him to the plate if the Rays have lefthander David Price warming up in the bullpen. In that scenario, Jenkins might be Manuel's choice to lead off the inning.
If the Rays start the sixth with Price or another lefthander on the mound, So Taguchi would be a smart bet to lead off the inning. Taguchi is a leadoff-type hitter who can run.
It would seem unlikely that Manuel would use Eric Bruntlett in that spot because he would need him to replace Pat Burrell in left field if the Phillies get the lead later in the game.
Chris Coste, the Phillies' third righthanded bat on the bench, also would seem unlikely in that spot because he is the backup catcher to Carlos Ruiz.
Obviously, the Phillies would love to score a run or two in the sixth inning and hand the game over to their bullpen. But even if the Phils can't score in the sixth, it would not be a surprise to see Manuel go with his best bullpen arms in a mad dash toward the ninth inning.
That might mean pitching setup man Ryan Madson, and closer Brad Lidge, for as long as he can.
Madson is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in this postseason, having allowed two earned runs in 12 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA since Aug. 28, having yielded three earned runs in 26 1/3 innings,
Lidge is 0-0 with a 1.08 ERA and six saves in the postseason, having allowed one earned run in 8 1/3 innings. Lidge is well-rested. He hasn't pitched since Game 1 of the World Series last Wednesday.
