Jimmy Rollins' slide wiped out Brad Lidge's gaffe in Friday night's game

SAN DIEGO - Since Brad Lidge fell to his knees as a world champion in 2008, he has discovered many ways to blow a baseball game - 16 in all.

On Friday night, Lidge blew a game without the ball's leaving his hand.

The Phillies closer balked in the tying run in the ninth inning, spoiling another fantastic Roy Oswalt start. The Phillies still won, 3-2, in 12 innings thanks to a highlight-reel slide by Jimmy Rollins.

Lidge made things a bit more complicated than they should have been.

Twice, Lidge was one strike from victory. With one 0-2 pitch, he hit Ryan Ludwick on the hand. Then, with a 2-2 count to Chase Headley, Lidge balked.

With the bases loaded, Lidge was pitching from the wind-up. He stuttered when beginning his delivery. As soon as Lidge stopped, Headley and the Padres dugout shouted and pointed at him. All four umpires (and the crowd) noticed the balk, and Jerry Hairston Jr. jogged home with the tying run.

"It's a bizarre thing," Lidge said Friday. "The ball hit my glove as I was taking it to my glove to get my grip. It started coming out, and I had to look down to get the grip. Otherwise, the ball probably would have fallen out of my glove.

"By that time, my momentum was taking me forward, so basically I had to step off or I would have fallen on my face."

Lidge was given the opportunity for his fifth blown save of 2010 only because Charlie Manuel yanked Roy Oswalt after eight stellar innings. Oswalt retired the final 13 batters he faced. In the eighth, he threw just 11 pitches and struck out two.

Oswalt has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last four starts and has a 1.24 ERA. He has played every bit the part of the ace the Phillies expected when they acquired him. He struck out six and walked none Friday.

But he was due to lead off the ninth inning of a one-run game and Manuel decided he'd rather have rookie Domonic Brown begin the inning. On the second pitch Brown saw from Luke Gregerson, he popped out to Headley in foul territory at third.

Manuel said he considered three factors: Oswalt was due to lead off, he had thrown 102 pitches, and Lidge is his closer.

Until Friday, Lidge had yet to allow a run this month. In 91/3 innings, he had 11 strikeouts and zero walks.

"I'm feeling better and better each time out," he said.

Rollins scored the go-ahead run in the 12th on a Placido Polanco single up the middle. Third-base coach Sam Perlozzo sent Rollins home as centerfielder Luis Durango charged the ball and made a perfect throw home.

As he rounded third, Rollins said two words entered his head. One was "Oh." The other began with an "s." But Rollins somehow eluded catcher Yorvit Torrealba's tag and touched the back corner of home plate with his left hand.

"Like a scene from The Matrix," teammate Chad Durbin said.

Contact staff writer Matt Gelb

at 215-854-2928 or mgelb@phillynews.com. Follow on Twitter @magelb.