DENVER — Pedro Martinez won’t get to pitch in the snow after all.
Game 3 between the Phillies and Rockies in their NLDS was postponed yesterday due to snow and freezing temperatures here. The game will be played tonight, and the Phillies will have rookie J.A. Happ on the mound instead of Martinez.
Martinez accepted the decision.
“It is the most reasonable thing to do,” Martinez told reporters at the team hotel. “I haven’t thrown in 10 days. Difficult weather. Happ has been in there. He has a better feel for the ball.”
Martinez added he will be ready to pitch in relief, if needed.
“Yeah, I will be. Anything,” he said.
The decision to start Martinez by Charlie Manuel raised some eyebrows to begin with because of how the ex-Met, who turns 38 this month, finished the season. He threw just seven innings after throwing 130 pitches against the Mets on Sept. 13.
The Rockies also have a stronger lineup against right-handers. Now they will have to face Happ, a lefty who pitched in relief in Game 2 briefly. He faced one batter, leaving after getting struck on the left leg by a line drive. That took him out of the equation for last night, but the extra day of rest helped him.
Happ said his leg is a “non-issue.”
Manuel said the plan all along was to have Happ pitch today.
“I looked at his leg [Friday],” Manuel said. “I walked over and looked at his leg. I saw some swelling on the side of it, but his leg was actually in good shape. The way he moves around, he was fine. The way we had our pitching set up, I always thought J.A. was going to start one of these games. I had him down for the fourth game. What happened with the weather, I thought it was a tremendous way to put all of our left-hand pitchers on them. He was definitely ready to go tomorrow.”
Cliff Lee will start Game 4 tomorrow, and Cole Hamels will get the start if there is a Game 5.