Philadelphia.– The postponement of tonight's Phillies at Rockies Game 3 saved the Philadelphia manager from having to throw his worst cold-weather pitcher on the coldest of days.

Pedro Martinez had been scheduled to start, despite a forecast calling for 34 degrees and the always-unpleasant "ice pellets." Not the best of scenarios for the 37-year-old native Dominican, who has had arm trouble in recent years and has often spoken about his affinity to pitch in warm weather.

After the obvious decision to start Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in Games 1 and 2, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has used his starting rotation rather strangely.

Manuel had three reasonable options (Martinez, J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton) to start Games 3 and 4, with no clear-cut starter who has so vastly outperformed the others that it was an obvious decision.