DENVER (AP) - Pedro Martinez is getting the ball and the call in another big game.

Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel chose the aging right-hander over J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton, who made cameo appearances out of the bullpen Thursday, to face the Colorado Rockies in Game 3 of their NL playoff series Sunday night.

With the best-of-five series tied at one game each, this game is being played a day late after Saturday's postponement due to cold, snowy weather.

It will be Martinez's first postseason start since he won Game 3 for Boston at St. Louis in the 2004 World Series.

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``Well, every game is really special, but this one makes me look really smart,' Martinez cracked. ``Because I chose this team after waiting a long time. I gave away opportunities to make a lot more money. ... But I waited for the right moment, the right team and I don't think I could have chosen a better team.'

Hoping to draw interest in March, the 37-year-old free agent pitched for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and surprised some with his increased velocity. But Martinez turned down several offers in the spring because he wanted to re-sign with the Mets.

They shunned him, however, after four injury-filled seasons in New York, where the effervescent Dominican won 32 games while playing out a $53 million contract.

So, Martinez sat out most of the season before signing with the Phillies late in the summer. He went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts.

Martinez is 6-2 with a 3.40 ERA in the postseason, and Manuel said he likes his history in cold weather, too. The forecast for Game 3 calls for temperatures dipping into the 20s with snow flurries.

``I don't really think about it,' Martinez said. ``I'm planning to go out and have fun and do whatever I have to do. I have never been in a situation where I have to pitch with the snow on the field or anything like that. But I'm just looking forward to the challenge.'

Manuel burned two-fifths of his regular rotation Thursday when Blanton pitched one inning in relief, allowing a run in Colorado's 5-4 win, and Happ had to leave when Seth Smith hit a hard liner off the lower part of his left leg. X-rays were negative.

The Rockies seemed to welcome Martinez's selection because it allows them to use their most potent lineup with Ian Stewart at third base and Smith in left.

``Well, I think Seth Smith might have had something to do with that,' Rockies manager Jim Tracy said of Martinez's selection.

Happ gave mixed reviews about how he was feeling Friday.

``I iced it four times on the flight. I felt pretty good. I ran some in the outfield and it didn't feel as good,' he said.

Nevertheless, Happ said he should be available out of the bullpen for Game 3, but Manuel hinted that he'd rather save him for Sunday, when he might get the start. Then again, it could be Blanton or even Game 1 starter Cliff Lee on three days' rest.

Martinez has only thrown seven innings since Sept. 13 and he hasn't taken the mound since Sept. 30.

``That's another wonder,' Martinez said when asked how he thinks 10 days' rest will affect him. ``We don't really know. But I feel really good physically. I'm looking forward to going out there, hopefully get a normal start, use my experience to my advantage and try not to waste too much energy and too many pitches.'

Martinez's age, minimal work the last few weeks and the frigid temperatures approaching Coors Field were thought to be determinants to him getting the nod.

Manuel didn't hesitate to pick him to start the team's most important game of the season, and he said he expects Martinez to throw between 85 and 100 pitches.

Jason Giambi has faced Martinez plenty of times, and he was busy doling out advice Friday to the young hitters in the Rockies' clubhouse who hadn't faced him before.

``Yeah, we're both old,' Giambi said. ``I faced him when he was in his heyday. There was nobody better in baseball at that time. ... But these young guys, I'm just going to tell them, 'He's going to make you work. He's a competitor. He loves to win.'

``So, it's going to be tough.'

The Rockies will stick with right-handed starter Jason Hammel for Game 3 but they could move up ace Ubaldo Jimenez for Game 4, when the Phillies would likely counter with Game 1 winner Cliff Lee.

While the Phillies holed up in their hotel with no plans of working out at the ballpark Saturday, the Rockies summoned their players for a 90-minute workout inside Coors Field.

``We're going over at noon to do what we can indoors,' Tracy said. ``We just want to keep ourselves on somewhat of a schedule.'

A cold front moved into Denver overnight, dropping temperatures into the teens with record lows for the date. Coors Field was covered with a thin layer of snow and ice Saturday morning and flurries were expected to continue through the night.

National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Thaler said the cold front packed more punch than expected and easily broke the record low for the date of 25 degrees set in 1905.

``It's not going to get as warm as we thought. It got much colder than we anticipated,' Thaler said. ``We crushed the record: 17 today, 7:22 this morning. Up in the foothills it's even colder.'

The front will move out Saturday night and temperatures are expected to approach 50 on Sunday.

``It's still not going to be a delightful time tomorrow night,' Thaler said. ``Baseball is 70s and 80s and 90s weather. It's not going to be that. By the end of the game, it might be sneaking into the mid- to upper 30s. You're still going to want to bundle up, but it will be warmer than today.'