So long: Brad Lidge signs with the Nationals

The Phillies have lost yet another member of their 2008 championship team: Brad Lidge has signed with the Nationals.  Lidge, who will be forever remembered for getting the final out in the World Series, signed a 1 year deal for around a million dollars with the Nationals.  There was some talk that Lidge would return to the Phillies but ultimately the Nats offered him more money and a bigger role in their bullpen.

Lidge will always be remembered in Philadelphia for his perfect 2008 seasons that ultimately led to the first title in the city in decades.  While 2009 was rough and last season was filled with injuries, Lidge leaves under good terms and should get a standing ovation when he returns as a National this season.

Phillies decline 2012 options for Oswalt, Lidge

The Phillies offseason is officially under way with this news: the team has decided to not pick up their 2012 options on pitchers Roy Oswalt or Brad Lidge and both are now free agents.  Both players were bought out and neither move is a surprise.

Oswalt, who was bought out for 2 million, would have made 16 million dollars in 2012 if the Phillies picked up his option.  Lidge, who was bought out for 1.5 million, would have made 12.5 million.  Neither player is worth that much money but the Phillies are expected to at least negotiate with each player and they could bring one or both back at a lower salary.

If I had to guess, I would say we have definitely seen the last of Brad Lidge with the Phillies.  While he would be nice to have at the right price, there will be a team in the league that offers him way too much to be a set-up reliever in their bullpen.  Let someone else take the risk.

Roy Oswalt is more likely to return to the Phillies but it would pretty much be up to him.  Is he comfortable starting again in a new situation or would he rather finish his career in Philadelphia?  Should he leave, Vance Worley steps into the 4th starter role and the Phillies would have to search for a 5th starter if they want an upgrade over Kyle Kendrick.  At the right price, Oswalt is a significant upgrade over Kendrick so hopefully the Phils make him a serious offer.

Phillies falter, face must-win Game 5

The other Roy just wasn't good enough to get it done.  Roy Oswalt took the mound for the Phillies in Game 4 but didn't have his best stuff as he gave up 5 runs and the Phillies lost, 5-3, and now must play a do-or-die Game 5.  Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:

-Despite Oswalt not having his best stuff, he was still the right choice to start Game 4.  Vance Worley has been great this year but Oswalt is a veteran who has proven himself time and again in the playoffs.  No reason to second guess the starting pitching choice.

-The Phillies blew an early lead for the second time in this series.  The offense seems on point at the start of these games but has been basically absent in the middle innings.  Edwin Jackson is no great starter but the Phillies just couldn't crack him after the first inning.

-That Shane Victorino stumble and bad toss in the outfield was something else.  Can't say I've ever seen that before.  First Ronnie Brown and now this.  Yikes.

-I'm sure Oswalt, an avid hunter, can figure out a way to get rid of that squirrel.

-Jimmy Rollins has been ridiculously locked in, hitting 9 for 16 with 4 doubles and 6 runs scored.   Think he is gunning for a big contract this offseason?

-Brad Lidge faced his demons and won, getting Albert Pujols out in the 8th inning.  I'm not sure Lidge will ever live down the moon shot he gave up to Pujols a few years back but this was at least a positive step one.

Being forced into an elimination game is never a good thing for a team but the Phillies will send Roy Halladay to the mound and have Cliff Lee available out of the bullpen.  If the Cardinals are able to best the Phillies top two aces, they really are the better team.  In Roy and Cliff we trust!

Phillies activate Lidge, kick Baez to the curb

The moment we have all been waiting for has finally happened! No, not the activation of Brad Lidge, which also happened today, but the Phillies finally rid themselves of Danys Baez, designating him for assignment to make room for Lidge on the roster.

Baez has been nothing but awful for the Phillies the last two seasons, posting an ERA well above 5 while being completely unreliable in the late innings. Baez had become so useless that Charlie Manuel only called on him to pitch three times in July, his most recent appearance coming against the Mets when he got shelled for 4 runs in an inning of work. So long, Baez, I can't say you'll be missed.

Lidge's return to the Phillies shouldn't be overlooked. He won't be stepping back into the closer role any time soon but Lidge could turn into a useful 7th or 8th inning setup man. He should help alleviate the workload of Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes, who have been busting their tails in the late innings this season. Lidge isn't the most consistent guy so it will be interesting to see what role he works himself into.

Lidge to possibly miss half of season, Contreras to close

After the revelation that Brad Lidge was going to start the season on the DL, today's news is hardly surprising: Lidge will miss 3-6 weeks due to his shoulder injury. Given that time frame, Lidge made it clear to reporters that he is shooting for a return after the All-Star break. While that is a long time for the Phillies to be without their closer, at least Lidge won't need surgery on the shoulder, which would potentially keep him out for the entire season.

With Lidge out, Charlie Manuel is reportedly going to go with Jose Contreras as the closer and keep Ryan Madson in the 8th inning. While I don't subscribe to the theory that Madson doesn't have the mental makeup to be a closer, I'm fine with the Phillies keeping Madson in his most successful role. While Contreras doesn't have much closing experience (4 career saves all in 2010), if he can pitch like he did last year, he should do just fine in the 9th inning.

Given the relative depth of the Phillies bullpen, losing Brad Lidge isn't that huge of a blow to the Phillies. Both Contreras and Madson should do just fine in the final two innings so the Phillies will just need either J.C. Romero or Danys Baez to step into the 7th inning role. Then again, the Four Aces will probably just pitch a complete game every time.

Lidge to start season on the DL

The Phillies ridiculously bad luck with injuries continues. Yesterday, we got confirmation that Chase Utley will start the season on the disabled list; today, we learn that Brad Lidge will join him.

Due to shoulder pain, Lidge, who was already recovering from an injured bicep, won't be ready to go when the season starts. While he is hopeful that he will be able to pitch sometime in April, the initial reports don't give a definite timetable.

The season can't start soon enough for the Phillies, who are just ravaged with injuries. Luckily, the Phillies can slide Ryan Madson into the closer role and move Jose Contreras to the 8th inning, but that does make their 7th inning options that much weaker. They'll just need the four aces to pitch complete games for the first couple months of the season. Better make 'em shutouts, too, given the state of the lineup.

Phillies roster shuffle: Rollins, Bastardo in; Lidge, Valdez out

With most of my attention focused on the Flyers playoff run, I haven't had much energy to talk about the Phillies on the site lately. Needless to say, despite whatever imperfections the Phils have in the bullpen, the team has been on a roll lately, playing like the two time National League Champs that they are.

The only real news to come from the Phillies in the last few days has been a series of roster moves as more players have succumbed to injury and others have made their way back. First, the bad news: Brad Lidge was placed back on the disabled list as he continues to deal with elbow issues. Things just haven't been right for Lidge this season and I would expect him to not be rushed back this time. In his absence, with Ryan Madson also still out for several weeks, Jose Contreras is taking over at closer. While Contreras has been a stud out of the bullpen, should the Phillies be without Lidge for a long period of time, I would expect them to start seeking out a trade for a new closing option.

With Lidge being removed from the roster, Antonio Bastardo was called up once again. He will give the team a second lefty out of the pen but should be ready to get shifted back down to the minors at any time.

Also returning to the Phillies on Monday was Jimmy Rollins, who was activated from the disabled list and inserted right into the lineup. While his replacements at shortstop haven't been terrible, J-Roll's return brings the Phillies one step closer to their ideal lineup, a scary thought for a team that has been producing plenty of runs recently. To make room for Rollins, the Phillies designated Wilson Valdez for assignment, meaning they have 10 days to trade, release or place him on waivers. With how well Valdez had been playing in the field, it's a shame they may lose him, but he is the third string shortstop and he was pretty terrible with the bat.

Two more pieces of good Phillies news: Carlos Ruiz is back after taking a few days off and J.A. Happ is starting to throw, signaling he is making progress towards a return to the team. It should be frightening to the rest of the league that, with all of these players coming back into the fold, this Phillies team, already 10 games over .500, is only going to get better. Be afraid, National League, be very afraid.

The closer returns: Phillies activate Lidge

Those that are sick of watching Ryan Madson struggle through closing situations now have someone else to sweat through the 9th inning with: Brad Lidge is back. Lidge, who was placed on the disabled list at the end of spring training, will be activated before Friday's game against the Mets. To make room for Lidge, Antonio Bastardo was sent to the minors.

It's not known if Lidge will return to the closer spot right away. Given how Madson blew a save yesterday against the Giants, I'm sure Lidge will be finding his way back to the 9th sooner rather than later. How he does in the role is another story, though, considering his 11 blown saves and ERA over 7 last season. Let's hope his return solidifies the back end of the Phillies bullpen and let's the relievers all fall into their normal roles.

Early pitching depth test: Phillies place 3 pitchers on the DL

The depth in the Phillies pitching staff will be tested early this year as the team placed 3 pitchers they are counting on in 2010 on the DL today. Two of them were expected as the Phillies finally made official what we all knew about Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero; the other was surprising considering it is Joe Blanton, who hasn't spent a day on the disabled list in his six major league seasons.

Lidge and Romero both weren't on track to start the season with the Phillies but neither is expected to be out for too long. In their absences, David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo will make the club and Ryan Madson will be the closer. The bullpen will definitely be shorthanded as the season starts.

As for Blanton, he will miss 3 to 6 weeks as he deals with a mild oblique strain. While this is good news for Kyle Kendrick, who jumps from the bullpen to the rotation, losing Blanton will be a blow, even if it's only for April. Since acquiring him in 2008, Blanton has been an anchor in the Phillies rotation, a guy that can be counted on every 5th day to go 6 innings and give up 3-4 runs. While Kendrick had a solid spring this year, there is no telling what the Phillies are going to get from him.

With Blanton going to the DL, a spot on the roster has opened up. The early word via the Phillies beat writers is that Andrew Carpenter will be called up to join the bullpen for Opening Day.

Losing Blanton hurts but it isn't crushing. He will only miss 4-8 starts right at the beginning of the year so it's hardly something that will hold the Phillies back for long, if at all. It's usually actually a good thing to get injuries like these out of the way in April and let guys get 100% healthy before they start their season. Of course, there is always the worry that an injury lingers all season long but Blanton has been nothing but healthy throughout his career so that might not be an issue with him. Lidge and Romero might be another story, though, hopefully their aches and pains don't turn them into question marks in the bullpen.

Failure. Lidge implodes, Yankees take commanding 3-1 series lead

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

It's been a rough year for Brad Lidge and tonight was the icing on that crap-filled cake. Lidge failed for possibly his last time this season as the Phillies lost Game 4 to the Yankees, 7-4, and now face a 3-1 series deficit.

With the game tied at 4-4 going into the top of the 9th inning, the Phillies closer took the mound looking to keep the Yankees off the scoreboard. Lidge got two quick outs, then appeared to have the inning sewn up after he got two strikes on Johnny Damon. A single, two stolen bases, a hit-by-pitch, a double and another single later, the Yankees plated 3 runs and completely silenced Citizens Bank Park. After the Phillies failed to do any damage in the bottom of the 9th, the crushing loss was complete.

This loss was particularly hard to take as the Phillies were in the game the whole time. The Yanks scored 4 runs off starter Joe Blanton but the Phillies nipped away at the lead throughout the night, getting solo homers from Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz in the 7th and 8th innings to bring them back into the game. It was all for naught, however, as Lidge failed just like he had all season long.

Now the Phillies find themselves on the brink, one loss away from ending their 2009 season. With Cliff Lee taking the mound in Game 5, the Phillies certainly have a great chance of extending the series back to New York but it's quite an uphill climb to pull off three straight wins against a good team like the Yankees. One thing this team has proven is that they are never out of any game, and although they have not been down in a series like this in the last few years, you have to believe they have some fight left in them. All it takes is one win to get the momentum back in the series and hopefully Cliff Lee will provide that win.

That was a tough loss to stomach, Phillies fans, but don't give up hope just yet. Until they lose that 4th game, this Phillies team is going to fight with everything they have. They are the World F'n Champs, after all.

Phillies survive the cold, take 2-1 series lead

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

I'm going to keep this short and sweet thanks to the geniuses at MLB who decided to schedule this game in the middle of the night.

The Phillies survived the cold, some rather questionable umpiring and a save situation with Brad Lidge to overcome the Rockies in a 6-5 marathon game that ended at 2:14 AM. The win puts the Phillies in the drivers seat for the series as they are one win away from moving on with Cliff Lee taking the hill tomorrow (today!) for Game 4.

The Phillies had no individual hero in the game, rather a collective effort from nearly everyone who played. Starting pitcher J.A. Happ didn't last long, going only 3 innings before the Phillies turned to their bullpen to keep them in it. The Phils ended up using 5 pitchers out of the 'pen, and, for the most part, they all did their jobs. Ryan Madson was the biggest savior, entering the game in a sticky situation and only giving up one run after Scott Eyre injured himself allowing two runners on base with no outs.

Having Lidge close out the game, no matter how dicey it got, was also huge for the Phillies. If Lidge can be even a shadow of what he was in 2008, the Phillies have a real shot at going the distance again.

Kudos to everyone that stayed up to watch the Phillies pull out a nail-biter in Colorado. With Game 4 just about 15 hours after Game 3, let's hope the Phils take some momentum from this win into the next one and finish out Colorado. Maybe once the Phillies are in the NLCS we will actually be able to watch these games at a reasonable hour.

Enough is enough, Brad Lidge

So long, Brad Lidge, and thanks for the memories. At this point, the Phillies need to move on without you. The Brad Lidge from 2008 isn't showing up any time soon so get this guy out of the closer role. His 11th blown save against the Marlins on Wednesday night is beyond the last straw. If Lidge can't close out a game in front of like 15 Marlins fans in a fairly meaningless game in September then how is he going to do in October with a packed stadium and a ton of pressure?

Enough already Charlie Manuel. I know you are loyal to a fault but you have to take Lidge out of the closer role. Ryan Madson, while not perfect either, is your only option and you have to turn to him in the 9th. At this point Lidge isn't even worthy of a spot on the playoff roster but I know the Phillies will at least be that loyal to him.

Enough is enough, Brad Lidge. Your time as the Phillies closer in 2009 is over. Get your head on straight and get yourself ready to bounce back in 2010.

Ryan Madson, your new Phillies closer (for now)

The unthinkable might have finally happened. Charlie Manuel, who has been loyal to his players almost to a fault, may have finally had enough of Brad Lidge blowing games for the Phillies. After blowing 10 (!!) saves this season and nearly blowing another one on Tuesday night, Manuel appears to have turned the closer role over to Ryan Madson. At least for now.

It all started on Tuesday night when, after Lidge let two runners on and got one out, Manuel put Madson in the game and he threw 6 consecutive strikes to clean up Lidge's mess and earn the save. While that was the first sign that Manuel seemed to be turning on Lidge, the real news comes out of Wednesday night's game when Lidge was bypassed completely. With the Phillies clinging to a one run lead, Madson entered the game in the 9th inning for the save opportunity and, while he was a bit shaky, got the job done.

So, Ryan Madson now appears to be the Phillies closer. Will it last the rest of the season? I doubt it. Like I said before, Charlie Manuel is loyal to a fault with his players, so you can bet Brad Lidge will get another chance or two to close games for the Phillies. Of course, there is also the chance that Brett Myers finds his way into the closer role considering he has done it before and he has looked better and better with each outing. It would be extremely difficult but the best option for the Phillies might be to rotate closers, playing the hot hand and picking the right matchups. I don't know that I trust Manuel to weigh all the options correctly when choosing his closer on a given day, though, so that might not really be a good idea.

It's unbelievable how much drama now surrounds the Phillies closer situation. Whatever happens, whoever ends up taking on the role, I just hope it happens soon. The last thing the Phillies need is to be rotating closers in the playoffs. Just like rotating goalies in the NHL, rotating closers just doesn't work. Stick with one guy and he will get in the right mindset to get the job done. Jerk three guys around and they won't be able to get into a rhythm.

Who needs a closer? Ryan Howard saves the day!

It looks like Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, either. One day after Phillies fans called for Brad Lidge's head after he blew his 9th save of the season, Madson proved that he wasn't much better in the role after he blew a 1 run lead against the Pirates on Wednesday. Madson, who got the save opportunity because Lidge was unavailable after pitching four days in a row, entered the game with a 1-0 lead in the 9th inning before blowing the save by giving up a homer. It was the 5th blown save in 9 tries this season for Madson.

Of course, who needs a closer when you have Ryan Howard? Howard, clearly annoyed by the inability of his pitchers to close out games, crushed a 3 run homer in the top of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead they would never look back from. The homer, his 9th in the last 13 games, was further proof that Howard is warming up with the weather. The Phillies went on to win the game as Madson pitched a second inning in the 10th and "earned" the win.

Lost in all the closer craziness is the fact that Cole Hamels pitched a solid game for the Phillies. Hamels pitched 8 shutout innings, and although it was against the lowly Pirates, it was still a better effort than he has shown in quite a while. Hamels allowed runners on base all night but kept finding a way to pitch out of every jam he found himself in. We will see if this is a turning point for Hamels or if it was just the result of Pirate terrbileness.

So, those that want Brad Lidge out, if Ryan Madson isn't the answer at closer, who do the Phillies turn to? Some have suggested Chan Ho Park, who saved 2 games for the Dodgers last season. Others point to Brett Myers and his outing in Double A on Wednesday, where he struck out 5 batters in two innings of work. If Myers is healthy in the coming weeks, he is certainly an intriguing option.

Myers is still a few weeks away, however, so Phillies fans need to make their peace with Lidge closing games for the immediate future. Of course, if Howard continues to rake the way he is right now, having a closer might not really be necessary.

What to do about Brad Lidge?

How much longer can Brad Lidge be a closer on a team that wants to win a championship? Last night, for the NINTH time this season, the Phillies had a lead late in the game, handed the ball to Brad Lidge, and then watched him blow a save. Many would argue that Lidge probably shouldn't have been in the game last night at all since he had pitched in three straight games already, but when you have a one run lead against the Pirates, your closer should be able to get the job done. While Lidge wasn't helped by Jayson Werth's botched play in the outfield last night, he still more than earned a blown save since he failed to get any of the three batters he faced out.

In the encore to a magical season last year, Lidge has been nothing short of a disaster in 2009, putting up numbers this season that are terrifyingly bad (0-6, 7.33 ERA, 1.80 WHIP), especially when compared with his numbers in 2008 (2-0, 1.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP). For a team that has built up a large lead in their division like the Phillies, having a closer who has put up the kind of numbers that Lidge has is truly astonishing.

So, the question now is, what do the Phillies do? I'm all for taking Lidge out of the closer role, but who do you turn to? Ryan Madson closed a few games earlier in the year but wasn't terribly effective. J.C. Romero closes games from time to time but he's injured. Brett Myers, who is unfortunately at least a month away from contributing, has shown that he can be an effective closer, so he could be a good option if he has his head straight. There are really no other options on the roster after that.

With no obvious replacement available, the Phillies are forced to stick with Lidge despite how terrible he has been. With October right around the corner, however, if the Phillies have a Plan B closer up their sleeve, now is the time to show it.

Welcome back, Lidge!

A few weeks ago, this blogger made a mistake. I called for Brad Lidge to step down as closer for the Phillies, to be replaced by Ryan Madson. I stand by my statements that Lidge needed some time off, possibly with an "injury", but 2 blown saves and a loss later, I realize that Madson was not the answer. So, with that in mind, I welcome Brad Lidge back to his closer role. Hopefully the time off has given him a chance to clear his head and nurse his injured knee and he will be ready to be the dominant closer that he was last season. He can't be any worse than Madson, right?

To make room for Lidge on the roster, the Phillies sent Sergio Escalona back down to the minors. Escalona has been up and down all season long, so you can bet we are only an injury or overused pitcher away from seeing him again.

Here are the updated bullpen roles. With Lidge back, everyone seems to slide back into more comfortable roles, although the Phillies are without a true lefty specialist at the moment.

Long relief:
Chan Ho Park
Chad Durbin

Lefty who can go multiple innings:
Jack Taschner

6th inning:
Tyler Walker

7th inning:
Chad Durbin

8th inning:
J.C. Romero
Ryan Madson

Closer:
Brad Lidge

I've had enough: Ryan Madson for closer

I'm a patient baseball fan. I don't make rash decisions about the value of a player after one good performance or one bad performance. Players shouldn't be traded after an 0 for 5 night and they shouldn't be put in the Hall of Fame for pitching a complete game shutout. I understand that baseball is about trends, and you can't take any one game too hard.

With that said, it's time for Brad Lidge to step away from the closer role for the Phillies. The Phillies entered Friday night's contest against the Dodgers, the best team in baseball, riding a 7 game winning streak and were ready to prove that they were still the World F'n Champions. Enter Brad Lidge in the 9th inning with a lead on both Friday and Saturday, and exit the Phillies with two bad losses. Instead of putting a further stranglehold on the NL East and cementing themselves as baseball's best team, the Phillies took two bad losses and have fallen back towards the pack.

That's why Brad Lidge and his 6 blown saves in 19 tries needs to be removed as closer. The Phillies are too good to let Lidge ruin a shot at repeating as World Champs. The best part about removing Lidge is the fact that they have the perfect in-house candidate in Ryan Madson. Let's make a quick comparison between Lidge and Madson:

Brad Lidge: 26 IP, 7 HR allowed, 14 BB, 28 K's, 6 BS, 1.81 WHIP, 7.27 ERA
Ryan Madson: 27.1 IP, 0 HR allowed, 9 BB, 29 K's, 1.06 WHIP, 2.30 ERA

I don't care if he fakes an injury and goes on the DL or they send him to the minors to "find himself", the Phillies need to make the change. NOW.

Go on Twitter and join the movement! Let's see if we can make #ryanmadsonforcloser a trending topic!

Fun with Phillies Projections, Pitchers Edition

Yesterday, I looked at some of the projections for the Phillies hitters and whether there was any shot they could continue at their current pace (Ibanez should easily hit 64, right?). Today, it's the pitchers turn. Let's take a look at some of the actual projected statistics for a selection of Phillies pitchers and see if there is any chance they can meet these numbers:

Brad Lidge
Current: 4 Blown Saves
Projected: 14 Blown Saves
14 Blown Saves would dwarf Lidge's previous career high of 8 BS in a season. Something is definitely wrong with Lidge, especially considering he didn't blow a single save last season and now he has completely fallen off the rails. I don't see any way he gets 14 blown saves this season because he will either turn it around or he will lose his job as a closer.

Brett Myers
Current: 15 HR allowed
Projected: 53 HR allowed
Myers' previous career high is 31 HR allowed. I have no idea what the all-time record is for homers allowed in a single season, but I have to think that 53 would be close to it. Myers could pitch well and still break this record, after all, who cares if he gives up a homer with no one on base?

Cole Hamels
Current: 2-2 record
Projected: 7-7 record
Obviously, King Cole will finish with at least 10 wins, but he will still rack up his fair share of no-decisions, especially if the bullpen continues to blow saves.

Ryan Madson
Current: 2-1 record, 1 save, 1.13 WHIP
Projected: 7-4 record, 4 saves, 1.13 WHIP
Perhaps he's the answer at closer while Brad Lidge is struggling? Madson has certainly been dominant.

Jame Moyer
Current: 3-5 record, 13 HR allowed, 7.42 ERA
Projected: 11-18 record, 46 HR allowed, 7.42 ERA
Moyer has had his worst season since 2004 with Seattle, when he put up numbers pretty similar to those projected numbers. That bodes well for a comeback for Moyer, since he has won 10 games every season since then, but it could also be a signal that he is in for a long year.

All is right again, King Cole is back!

A day after watching Jamie Moyer get pounded by the Mets, the Phillies were desperately hoping for a good pitching performance. Enter Cole Hamels, who has had a rocky season to say the least as he has dealt with injuries and poor outings. Hamels proved he was back in a big way tonight, however, as he went 6 innings, struck out 7 and gave up 2 runs, leading the Phillies to a 10-6 win over the Braves.

While it would have been an accomplishment had Hamels simply managed to escape the game without getting injured, he did so much more to instill confidence that the Phillies rotation woes might be cured by having their ace back and pitching every 5th day. The Phils still remain in first place after beating the Braves and if they could just get consistent outings from their starting pitchers, they could run away with the division.

A pitcher that hasn't been himself lately is Brad Lidge. Lidge came into the game in the 9th inning with the Phillies up 10-3, presumably to get some work in as he continues to recover from injury. He nearly blew the game, however, after allowing a walk, double and a subsequent 3-run homer before mowing down three Braves in a row to end the game. Lidge's ERA now sits at 8.49 for the season, a far cry from the 1.05 he put up last season.

A little pitching will go a long way for the Phillies. Let's hope Cole Hamels has now sent a message to the rest of the staff to step up their performance.

Lights out Lidge's streak is over

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Someone broke Brad Lidge. After 47 straight saves, including a perfect 2008 season, Lidge has blown his first save as a Phillie. More importantly, the blown save led to the Phillies losing their third straight game, 8-5 to the Padres.

We all knew the streak had to end sometime but it was still shocking to watch it happen. Lidge came into the game with a 5-4 lead and gave up 4 runs, 3 of them coming on a Kevin Kouzmanoff homer. Lidge looked shaky throughout the inning and had a couple of close pitches that were called balls that seemed to rattle him a bit. Much credit has to be given to Lidge for his tremendous streak but it will be interesting to see how he responds next time he is given the ball in a save situation. He was known to have a fragile psyche in the the past, especially after Albert Pujols crushed one of his pitches in the playoffs, but I bet Lidge bounces back like nothing ever happened.

Looking at the bigger picture, this is two games in a row where the Phillies gave up leads. The reason the 2008 Phillies were so good was they had a bullpen that was lights out; the moment the starting pitcher was taken out of the game it was nearly automatic that the bullpen would close things out. This season the pitching has looked awful from the starters down to every last bullpen pitcher as the team has given up 70 runs in 10 games. That's 7 runs a game! I don't care how good the Phillies offense is, no team can win if they give up 7 runs a game.

The honeymoon of the 2008 World Series has clearly worn off. This season is only 10 games old but so much has already happened with this Phillies team. Let's hope they have what it takes to fight through the adversity and be a better baseball team. Lord knows we can't take many more losses to the crappy Padres.