Phillies tab Lee to start Game 1

Cliff Lee will be getting the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series.

According to the AP, manager Charlie Manuel made the announcement earlier today in a press conference.

The left-handed Lee has been dominant in his three starts thus far in the postseason, going 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA. Lee's ERA is the lowest in postseason history for anyone with at least three starts.

Lee will take the mound Monday against either the Yankees or the Angels. Regardless of the opponent, the NL champion Phillies will open the World Series on the road.

Manuel hasn't announced the rest of his rotation yet. Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels are the two candidates to start Game 2. Hamels who was spectacular in last year's playoffs has struggled through the first two rounds this season.

Recent speculation has Martinez getting the nod in Game 2 if it is played in Yankee Stadium. This is due in part to his past success in the Bronx when Pedro was part of the Boston Red Sox.

If Pedro does get the start, he won't be intimated by the big stage.

"To have 60,000 people looking at one guy to deliver that ball and all of them chanting 'Pay-dro! Pay-dro!' is a great honor," Martinez said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "To pitch at Yankee Stadium on one of the greatest stages to play on, it's an unbelievable feeling."