Weather thwarts Game 5 again

PHILADELPHIA – If Mother Nature cooperates, Game 5 of the World Series will continue tonight at Citizens Bank Park.

If not, we wait.

But whenever their teams play, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon will have decisions to make.

The Phillies will be coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 2-2 game. The Rays are due to have right-hander Grant Balfour on the mound, and the Phils pitcher Cole Hamels leading off at the plate.

Balfour might not pitch. Hamels will not hit.

Neither Manuel nor Maddon tipped his hand during teleconferences with reporters Tuesday after they learned Game 5, suspended Monday because of heavy rain, would not be played Tuesday night because of inclement weather.

If Balfour or another right-hander is on the mound, Manuel will use one of his left-handed bats – Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs or Geoff Jenkins – to pinch-hit for Hamels. Dobbs is his strongest bat, but it seems unlikely Manuel would send him to the plate if the Rays have left-hander David Price warming up in the bullpen. In that scenario, Jenkins might be Manuel’s choice to lead off the inning.

If the Rays start the sixth with Price or another left-hander on the mound, So Taguchi would be a smart bet to lead off the inning. Taguchi is a leadoff-type hitter who can run.

It would seem unlikely that Manuel would use Eric Bruntlett in that spot because he would need him to replace Pat Burrell in left field if the Phillies get the lead later in the game.

Chris Coste, the Phillies’ third right-handed bat on the bench, also would seem unlikely in that spot because he is the backup catcher to Carlos Ruiz.

Obviously, the Phillies would love to score a run or two in the sixth inning and hand the game over to their bullpen. But even if the Phils can’t score in the sixth, it would not be a surprise to see Manuel go with his best bullpen arms in a mad dash toward the ninth inning.

That might mean pitching setup man Ryan Madson, and closer Brad Lidge, for as long as he can.

Madson is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in this postseason, having allowed two earned runs in 12 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA since Aug. 28, having yielded three earned runs in 261/3 innings,

Lidge is 0-0 with a 1.08 ERA and six saves in the postseason, having allowed one earned run in 81/3 innings. Lidge is well-rested. He hasn’t pitched since Game 1 of the World Series last Wednesday.

One thing is certain: Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer will not pitch. They are scheduled to start Games 6 and 7, respectively. Manuel is not about to burn one of them in Game 5 and find himself a starter short if the series returns to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“I have faith in our bullpen,” Manuel said. “And we’ve got three innings to go, and I think our bullpen can definitely do the job. I’m not looking ahead to the following game, but at the same time, we’ve got to set up our pitchers where they’re in line.”

Maddon probably does not mind whom his hitters face because he is thrilled that Hamels is out of the game.

“That’s a pretty good feeling, obviously,” he said. “He has been so good, and to scratch out the runs that we’ve had has been very difficult. Of course, their bullpen has been magnificent also.

“So it’s not going to be an easy task by any means. But we have a lot of our bullpen fresh now, too. So getting him out is important.”

Other than both teams using their bullpens when the game resumes, everything is up in the air. Who is up in the bullpen and who is standing in the on-deck circle will dictate the rest, including what strategies each team uses at the plate.

“It just depends on the moment, what’s going on,” Maddon said. “We’re not afraid to bunt, but there’s times that we choose not to. You want to get on top, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be through that avenue. There’s different ways of getting it done.”

But first you have to get on the field.