MLB

Phils go to Blanton, not Lee in Game 4

PHILADELPHIA — The doubters screamed when Phillies manager Charlie Manuel named Pedro Martinez as his Game 2 starter. Now he’s giving them more fodder.

Manuel has tabbed Joe Blanton as his World Series Game 4 starter instead of bringing back Game 1 hero Cliff Lee on three days’ rest. The decision is questionable considering Blanton’s history against the Yankees and Lee’s Game 1 dominance.

Manuel rolled the dice once in this series, and Martinez gave him a strong outing. Now he’s gambling again.

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“I think Blanton fits for us because I think we want to keep [J.A.] Happ right now in the bullpen, especially kind of in the middle where he could do some innings, and also Joe pitched last year in the World Series, and he’s got a little bit more experience,” Manuel said.

Blanton is 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA against the Yankees in four career starts. Just three active pitchers who have made at least four starts against the Yankees have worse ERAs.

Despite those numbers, Manuel is going to the right-hander tomorrow night. He said Lee will pitch Game 5 and could be used out of the bullpen if there is a Game 7. Lee has never pitched on short rest before, something that scared Manuel away from the lefty.

“I don’t think he’s ready for it on three days’ rest,” Manuel said. “That’s really pushing him because he never did it before. If he had done it before like say CC [Sabathia] has, and CC pitched consistently last year on three days’ rest. There’s a big difference, plus CC is big, and I think that plays a part in it.

“But Cliff has never [done] it, and I think you’re taking a chance on really pushing him, and I think that he’s the kind of guy that he gets into the game, and with his adrenaline going and everything, and definitely we don’t want to hurt him. But at the same time we want him to stay strong when he does pitch.”

The decision is classic Manuel, who manages more with his gut than by the book. He showed that in Game 2 by starting Martinez and then sending him back out there in the seventh inning, already trailing 2-1. He showed it this year by sticking with closer Brad Lidge when he was struggling.

Manuel trusts his guys and lets nothing sway him.

“As a player it makes you feel good,” Blanton said. “It makes you feel like he’s really got your back. He’s not like listening to everybody else and what they’re saying and kind of maybe I should do this because they’re going to think this. He’s not going to do that. He knows what he’s going to do. It makes you feel good about you and about him trusting you.”

brian.costello@nypost.com