The Toronto ace also has started once on 2 days' rest.
Charlie Manuel gave several reasons for deciding against using Lee in last night's excruciating, 7-4 loss to the Yankees but it always came back to this: "You're asking Cliff Lee to do something that he never did before,'' Manuel said.
"We're also asking him to do it in a very big, important place, and that's in the World Series. I didn't have to think very long at all about that, and neither did [pitching coach Rich] Dubee.''
Instead, Joe Blanton was inserted in that big, important place. Joe Blanton, who was not worthy of a start in the National League Division Series despite his regular-season dependability. Joe Blanton, who allowed three earned runs in six innings in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.
Joe Blanton did what you would expect Joe Blanton to do. He battled, he grinded, he gave up enough runs to be beaten by a well-pitched game, and not enough to be beaten by a badly pitched one.
CC Sabathia did what he has done so often on 3 days' rest. He battled himself at times, he worked his way in and out of several jams against the best Phillies hitters and won far more than he lost. He blew a 2-0 lead, and Chase Utley's seventh-inning home run cut another two-run lead the Yankees had whittled from Blanton in half.
He left after that, ahead 4-3. He threw 107 pitches, allowed seven hits and three walks. He gave you all the ammunition needed for the gnawing debate:
Would Lee have won this game? Without Pedro Feliz' game-tying, eighth-inning home run? Without Brad Lidge having to enter a tied game in the ninth?
Unanswered is what Lee would have done with 1 less day of rest.
"This point of the season, in these situations, physically you feel fine,'' Sabathia said after the game. "I definitely think it's more mental just not having the day's rest and be able to come back and pitch in a game.''
