Phillies hurler Pedro Martinez will take the hill in Game 2 of the World Series.
The three-time Cy-Young Award winner was picked over 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels.
The move made sense. Martinez has made playoff starts in Yankee Stadium in the past and he looked sharp in the NLCS giving up no runs in seven stellar innings.
But, Pedro wasn’t sharp in those past postseason trips to the hill in the House That Ruth Built.
In three career postseason appearances (two starts) in the Bronx, Pedro went 0-1 while posting a 6.28 ERA, 16 strikeouts and five walks in 14.1 innings for the Red Sox.
Not the best performances. But, it should be noted that in one of those games (the infamous Game 7 Sox collapse in 2003) a tiring Pedro was left in to allow the tying runs in the eighth inning.
In any case Charlie Manuel picking Pedro for Game 2 likely had less to do with Pedro’s past than with Hamels’ present.
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Pedro struck down the Dodgers in L.A. while Hamels struggled mightily in Philly. After going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the 2008 postseason, Hamels is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in 2009.
Assuming that Manuel plans to pitch ace cliff Lee in Games 1, 4 and 7 (if needed) The move is also significant because it means that Hamels will likely only start once in the World Series -- Game 3 in Philly.
The reason Hamels would only go once is that Game 3 in on Halloween Night. Hamels has never pitched on short rest so to pitch on full rest he would only be available for Game 7 on Nov. 5. But, that spot seems to be Lee’s -- Hamels would really only be there as a reliever.
To pitch a possible Game 6 Hamels would need to throw on three-days rest and Pedro would need to do the same thing to pitch Game 5. Instead assume Pedro to pitch on full rest in Game 6 and for the Phillies to call on Joe Blanton for Game 5.
