PHILADELPHIA — Derek Jeter almost seems to delight in the way this World Series is playing out. Forget all those power hitters. Pitching is priceless.

"I told you," he said with a smile.

Without any offense from Alex Rodriguez and Jeter, the New York Yankees totaled four runs in the first two games and still eked out a split at home. Now, the Series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 today, with Cole Hamels set to start for the Phillies against fellow lefty Andy Pettitte.

Citizens Bank Park is approximately 108 miles from Yankee Stadium, with all those New Jersey Turnpike tolls in between. Both teams zipped down on the train in a little more than an hour.

"We're back in our own ballpark. It's going to be hostile. It's going to be loud," Shane Victorino said.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he will go with former A's starter Joe Blanton on the mound for Game 4 rather than ace Cliff Lee on short rest. Manuel said if the Series goes seven games, Lee could be available for the finale.

Manuel also could have turned to left-hander J.A. Happ, but the rookie will stay in the bullpen.

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

Blanton started Game 4 against Tampa Bay last year

Advertisement
and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter in a 10-2 win that gave the Phillies a 3-1 Series lead. Blanton homered off Edwin Jackson in that one, the first Series home run by a pitcher since the A's Ken Holtzman in 1974.

Hamels and Pettitte will have quite a task matching the efforts by Lee in Game 1 and the Yankees' A.J. Burnett in Game 2. Lee blanked the Yankees in the opener, becoming the only pitcher in World Series history to record 10 strikeouts and no walks and no earned runs in a complete-game win. Burnett struck out nine in a seven-inning, one-run outing in Game 2.

As a result, some of the mighty boppers in this series have remained quiet. Mark Teixeira's only hit in seven at-bats for the Yankees is a solo homer. Phillies bopper Ryan Howard is hitting .222 with six strikeouts. A monster in the playoffs, Rodriguez is 0- for-8 in his first World Series, also with six strikeouts.

"I feel pretty good. I mean, it's only been eight at-bats, but I felt like I've had a lot of good swings," Rodriguez said.

Note: Television ratings are rebounding from last year's record lows. Fox earned an 11.7 fast national rating and 19 share for Game 2, figures up 44 percent from the 8.1/13 for last year's Phillies-Rays Game 2, and the highest-rated Game 2 since the Red Sox-Cardinals in 2004.