So all is well, right? Not so fast. Yesterday's save opportunity was just the third for Lidge since the all-star break. When he has pitched in non-save situations, Lidge has been all over the place. The low point, he said, was an outing here against the Chicago Cubs on July 22: two earned runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning.
"I felt really out of control," Lidge said. "My body was spinning off, my head was off-line. I've worked real hard on that."
Lidge pitched a clean inning against Colorado on Tuesday, but he was working with an 8-3 deficit and was able to pump fastballs. It wasn't until he trotted out there to protect Lee's 3-1 lead (with a nice setup by Ryan Madson) that Lidge himself would get a feel for his status.
But for a Brad Hawpe single that barely eluded Chase Utley's grasp, Lidge looked very much like Lidge '08. He used a well-located 94-m.p.h. fastball to set up his infuriating slider.
"I felt like today he had a little more pop on the ball, and his slider was biting more," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He had more command."
There has been an awful lot of talk about the Phillies' starting rotation in recent weeks, and no wonder. They made the interesting decision to sign Pedro Martinez, then dominated the trade-deadline conversation by pursuing Roy Halladay before making the trade for Lee. When you include Chan Ho Park, who began the year in the rotation, the Phillies lead the majors in available starters.
Lee may not be as dominating as Halladay, but he has shown in just two starts that he is a winner who fits perfectly with this team's collective personality. A week after making the deal, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks even smarter - especially after announcing that J.A. Happ would stay in the rotation for the duration.
