More Questions Than Answers for Phils' Postseason Pitching

Who will start in game one of the NLDS? How will the rotation shape up? Who will pitch in the fourth spot? What about the pen?

Many questions lingered as the Phillies head into the postseason after their third-straight division title, but Charlie Manuel hopes to address these issues in the final three games of the regular season.

It appears as if Cliff Lee would get the nod in Game 1 despite struggling in his last seven games (he went 2-4 with a 6.13 ERA) after being nearly unhittable in his first five games (5-0 with a 0.68 ERA).

The Phillies seem to be banking that the guy they brought in to be their ace could return to his early form come playoff time.

It appeared that Joe Blanton would pitch in Game 2 and Cole Hamels in Game 3 with each pitcher getting at least five days rest after pitching this weekend against the Marlins.

But who will pitch in Game 4? Will it be Pedro Martinez or J.A. Happ? Or maybe a Wild Card like Kyle Kendrick?

Happ was certainly the team’s most effective pitcher this season, going 12-4 with a 2.85 ERA to put him in the running for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Some fans even think that he may even deserve to pitch at the top of the rotation come playoff time.

Happ could be asked to step into the pen but with how good he would be don’t be surprised if he stays as a starter. With Happ happening to be in the rotation, Pedro would land in to the bullpen.

And speaking of the bullpen, how would the Phils handle an injury-plagued relieving corps heading into the playoffs?

It remained to be seen whether the likes of Brett Myers and Scott Eyre could be effective. On top of that, Chan Ho Park and J.C. Romero both suffered setbacks on Thursday, according to Phillies.com.

Park left a game in Clearwater, Fla. early after feeling tightness in his injured right hamstring and Romero continued to feel soreness in his strained left throwing arm.

The Phils pitching staff may not be exactly where we want it to be as guys like Kendrick, Tyler Walker and possibly Sergio Escalona land in the postseason pen but they’ll have to make due with what they’ve got.

Heck, we didn’t even get into who would be closing games.

If you ask us, the playoffs seem like a toss-up this season -- at least with the guys tossing pitches off the mound.

If we had to bet this is how we see things shaping out assuming there are no more injury setbacks.

Starters (in order of appearance): Lee, Blanton, Hamels and either Happ or Pedro.

Relievers: Happ or Pedro, Kendrick (long relief), Clay Condrey, Chad Durbin, Walker, Eyre, Myers, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson (closing)