Wintry conditions are expected this evening at Coors Field, as the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies play the pivotal third game of the best-of-five National League Division Series.
According to AccuWeather a low temperature between 18 and 24 degrees is expected at game-time along with a 30 percent chance of freezing drizzle, or snow.
The coldest temperature on record at the start of a postseason game in the last 22 years was 38 degrees, set in Game 4 of the 1997 World Series in Cleveland between the Indians and Marlins.
Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel waited until Friday to name his starter for tonight's crucial contest, but settled on righty Pedro Martinez.
"He pitched in Boston and also pitched a playoff game against us when I was in Cleveland where he came in and he had a bad arm, and he went about five innings, five or six innings in a playoff game, and it was cold that night," said Manuel.
Martinez joined the team after the All-Star break and posted a record of 5-1 with a 3.63 earned run average in nine starts. However, he has pitched only once since September 19, throwing four innings in a September 30 start against Houston.
"I feel like Pedro is capable of going anywhere from 85 to 100 pitches. And I think that can get you into the sixth of seventh inning if his command is good," Manuel added. "Of course, if he has a couple innings where he does throw a lot of pitches, that will determine how far he goes in the game. But Pedro is in very good shape, a lot better shape than last year. He's throwing quite a bit better."
Martinez, though, is playoff-tested, having won a World Series title with Boston in 2004. He owns a career postseason mark of 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 13 games, including 11 starts.
"I'm not known to be intimidated by the challenge," Martinez said. "And hopefully after getting older I don't feel anything different. I'm expecting to just go out there and have success like always. I don't know how big you want to make the stage, but to me it's a baseball game."
However, the 37-year-old right-hander has not pitched in the postseason since Game 3 of the 2004 World Series against St. Louis, when he twirled seven shutout innings in a 4-1 victory.
Manuel also said that starters Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ would be available out of the bullpen, but he would like to avoid using both, as he did in Game 2.
"Basically we'll try to stay away from maybe one of those guys, but at the same time it depends on the situation in the game, like we'll have a starting pitcher for you after the game tomorrow, or maybe even before," said Manuel.
Martinez, though, will be facing a Colorado team who evened this series up at a game apiece on Thursday, as Yorvit Torrealba belted a two-run homer, while Carlos Gonzalez provided a spark atop the Rockies' lineup with three hits in the 5-4 victory.
Torrealba, who hit only two home runs in the regular season, went deep for the first time since May 6, helping the Rockies snap a five-game postseason losing streak.
Prior to losing Game 1, Colorado had been swept in the 2007 World Series against Boston.
Aaron Cook (1-0) earned his first career postseason victory after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks in five-plus innings. Huston Street earned the third career postseason save of his career after throwing a scoreless ninth inning.
"It's a big win today," said Cook. "Whenever you can go back to your home field with the series tied or possibly in the lead, it's always huge. The crowd was really into it today and that is something we're going to have on our side going back home on Saturday."
Raul Ibanez went 2-for-4 with a two-run single, while Jayson Werth hit a solo homer for the Phillies, who lost at home for the first time in nine postseason games. It was their first home loss in the playoffs since falling to the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS.
Werth has now hit safely in 11 consecutive postseason games
Cole Hamels (0-1), the reigning NLCS and World Series MVP, was not as sharp as he was in the 2008 playoffs, allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings.
The southpaw may have had other things on his mind, however, as he left the stadium after being pulled from the game after learning that his wife had gone into labor with the couple's first child.
"It might have," said Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel about whether Hamels' wife going into labor had any effect on him. "I was taking him out of the game cause I wanted to hit for him. We had a guy on and I felt like it was a chance to get back in the game. Frank Coppenbarger (Philadelphia director of team travel and clubhouse services) came into the dugout and told him that his wife was in labor. He was out of the game so he left. It could have bothered him."
Colorado, meanwhile, will counter with righty Jason Hammel, who was 10-8 this season with a 4.33 ERA after being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays right at the start of the season.
"This guy was as consistent as any of the guys in our rotation that you would want to talk about," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "And it didn't matter if it was at Coors Field or on the road.
Hammel won his only other start against the Phils, holding them to three runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings back on August 4.
Philadelphia won four of six from the Rockies this season.
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