Head-scratching moves work out

DENVER - It all worked out, somehow. But Phillies manager Charlie Manuel seemed to make a pretzel out of what could have been a doughnut.

Why? Why? Why?

Why lefty specialist Scott Eyre to start the ninth with a one-run lead, and not resurrected closer Brad Lidge right away? Lidge had to enter with two outs and two of Eyre's runners on base.

Eyre injured his right ankle badly enough to leave Game 3 the night before. He told Manuel he was fit before last night's game, and Eyre certainly looked fit, getting pinch-hitter Eric Young Jr., pitching unearthly hot lefty Carlos Gonzalez (10-for-17) tough, and getting switch-hitter Dexter Fowler before lefty Todd Helton got a hit.

Lidge entered and struck out righthander Troy Tulowitzki.

Why let righthander Ryan Madson pitch to lefty slugger Jason Giambi in the eighth, when rookie power lefty Antonio Bastardo had gotten Giambi out in a big moment in Game 2?

"Madson's been tough on lefties this year," Manuel said. Besides, he added, the moment was awful big for a rookie.

Madson executed his single pitch to Giambi – a 94-mph fastball on Giambi's hands – that Giambi managed to fight off for a rare opposite-field single.

Why not let defensive standout Ben Francisco, inserted as a double-switch in the bottom of the eighth, just hit against Rockies closer Huston Street in the ninth? Francisco hits righthanders well, and Street's actually tougher against lefties, and the lefty pinch-hitter Manuel used, Greg Dobbs, has not performed well in the role this season.

And why Dobbs instead of Matt Stairs, who absolutely owns Street (4-for-8, two homers)?

Because, Manuel said, Dobbs was 2-for-3 against Street, with a double and four RBI. Also, Street has actually been better against Stairs lately.

Dobbs struck out. Later, pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo wound up replacing Francisco in leftfield, a tough place to play at Coors Field.

"I was a little surprised," Francisco said.

He wasn't the only one.