Lights On Lidge Blows Another One
By: Mike Reisman
Dear Brad Lidge, I have a question. Why? Do you hold a grudge against us for something we are unaware of? Is $12,000,000 not enough? Do you not like the fact that we traded for your former team mate? Or is it just that you are nowhere near as good as we think you are? No matter what the reason for Lidge's failures is, the losses need to stop.
Tonight the Phillies had to play from behind after Joe Blanton started the game off poorly giving up three runs in the first inning. The Phillies could not respond early, as Ross Detwiler held the team scoreless for 3.2 innings. The first run came off of a Wilson Valdez single, scoring Dominic Brown. The Phillies struck again in the 6th with a Carlos Ruiz solo home run cutting the lead to 3-2.
The next inning the Nationals scored on a sac fly to right increasing their lead to two. The Phillies answered back with a two run shot from Raul Ibanez knotting the game up at four. Both teams were held scoreless until Carlos Ruiz hit what seemed to be the decisive run in the top of the 9th.
That was before Brad Lidge came on.
From the get-go you could tell it would be a bad inning. Lidge gave up a single to Michael Morse to start the inning. From there it just got worse as Nyjer Morgan got Morse over on a sacrifice, and Brad Lidge then walked Adam Kennedy bringing Ryan Zimmerman up. It's never good when Ryan Zimmerman is up. On only the fourth pitch he sent a shot to straightaway center ending the game.
This is only Lidge's second game back since he almost blew a save against the Rockies. Clearly, sitting him has not worked and the Phillies need to find a fix to the closer problem soon. The Phillies showed they were seriously making a push for the playoffs by trading for Roy Oswalt, however, to be able to make the playoffs the Phillies need to have someone who closes out games without losing. As their recent play shows, the Phillies can score, but if teams as bad as the Nationals can beat their pitching, something needs to give.