"Everyone hears the breaking balls don't break as much, the ball travels further, all that kind of stuff. But I'm not going to really buy into it. It's the type of thing I'm going to have to see for myself and prove to myself what's going on there."
The last time they faced off, in the series' first game, Colorado's Ubaldo Jiminez matched Cy Young Award winner Lee inning-for-shutout inning until the middle of the game.
Then, in the fifth, Jiminez suddenly couldn't get anybody out. Lee pitched a complete game six-hitter as the Phillies won Game 1 of the National League Division Series, 5-1.
"I was so good and then suddenly I just lost everything," the 25-year-old Jimemez said last night. "So that's what it is. Just try to stay focused the whole game and just keep going and challenge hitters. That's what I learned."
As important as winning the first game of a best-of-five series is, tonight's start will have added importance for both pitchers since it will set up a potential clinch situation.
"I don't feel any pressure at all," Jiminez said. "I'm not concerned [with what happened last week] at all. It was probably something mechanical and I think I fixed it in the bullpen. When I got to the fifth and sixth inning, I lost my control. I was falling behind in the count and had to throw my fastball right in the middle, use my breaking ball. And they took advantage of it."
Lee also dominated the Rockies (seven innings, six hits, one run) at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 16, but this will be his first career start at mile high Coors Field.
One of the eternal questions of baseball is how a pitcher should approach a team he's had success against. Should he keep doing the same things because they've been effective? Or should he assume the opponent will make adjustments and try to stay a step ahead?
