PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Brad Lidge knows how tough it is for opposing relievers to warm up in Philadelphia’s cozy ballpark. It can be uncomfortable for Phillies pitchers, too, if they’re not doing well.
Fans line up along the railing just above the elevated visiting bullpen in the outfield and hurl nasty insults at anyone in view. By the time closers start throwing, the rowdies have been drinking for a while and they can be downright vicious after a couple – or several – brews.
“I’ve been a visiting player and I couldn’t wait to run out on that field,” Lidge said.
Lidge doesn’t have to worry about the verbal abuse anymore. He has been immune to boos in his first season in vociferous Philly because he’s perfect. The hard-throwing righty is 36-for-36 in save opportunities with a 2-0 record and 1.99 ERA in 66 games.
Not bad for a guy who many thought couldn’t do it anymore. The Houston Astros gave up on Lidge, trading him to Philadelphia last November in a five-player deal.
n-year career. He wasn’t intimidated by hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park because he pitched in a similar environment at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Lidge has been so key to Philadelphia’s success – the Phillies are tied with Milwaukee for the NL wild-card lead and were one game behind the New York Mets in the East entering Monday’s games – that he could get some consideration for the MVP award. The last two winners were Phillies, Ryan Howard in 2006 and Jimmy Rollins in ’07.
With 12 games remaining, Lidge is more concerned about making the playoffs than individual accomplishments.
“Right now I’m just trying to be ready every night if I need to throw,” he said. “I have to get the job done for my team.”
Dating to last season, Lidge has 39 consecutive saves. Only five relievers ever had a longer streak, according to Stats LLC. Eric Gagne saved 84 straight for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2002-04. Tom Gordon, currently on Philadelphia’s disabled list, saved 54 in a row for Boston from 1998-99.
Lidge can pass Rod Beck (41), Trevor Hoffman (41) and Dennis Eckersley (40) this week.
“There’s a great amount of luck you need,” Lidge said. “Honestly, I think Gagne’s streak will never be broken. You have to have everything fall right for you. It’s an amazing streak.”
row to the plate to cut down the tying run and preserve a 4-3 victory at Atlanta on June 6.
Gagne, now a setup guy for the Brewers, wouldn’t bet against Lidge breaking his record.
“I think he has a good chance,” Gagne said. “He’s really nasty stuff-wise. He’s had ups and downs, so mentally he knows what to do.”
This season began eerily for Lidge. He caught a spike in the mound in spring training on his first practice pitch with his new team and hurt the same knee he had surgery on last October. He began the year on the disabled list after another operation, but was nearly unhittable upon returning.
Lidge didn’t allow an earned run in his first 17 appearances. Overall, he’s been at his best in save situations, posting a 1.00 ERA.
The injury turned out to be a blessing because it forced Lidge to work on his control more than usual.
“I really concentrated on control for the first time in my life,” Lidge said. “I focused on not overthrowing, going out there and hitting spots, being able to throw my slider for strikes inside and out.
“I used to throw the slider as hard as I could and got outs with it. Now, I can throw it for a strike or throw it out of the zone, so I don’t always have to throw a fastball in a hitter’s count.”
es have been three outs.
Manuel cringed when Lidge threw more than 100 warmup pitches during the All-Star game. NL manager Clint Hurdle ran out of pitchers during the 15-inning marathon and saved Lidge until the end. Once he finally entered, Lidge allowed the winning run. Manuel was annoyed at the time, but he jokes about it now.
“Now I know he can throw 120 pitches in a night,” Manuel said.
Lidge had 29 saves and a 1.90 ERA in his second full season with Houston in 2004. He was 42-for-46 with a 2.29 ERA in ’05. But after allowing a long homer to St. Louis’ Albert Pujols in the NLCS, Lidge wasn’t the same. He lost two games to the White Sox in the World Series and had a 5.28 ERA the following year, when he saved 32 games in 38 chances.
Last year, Lidge went 5-3 with 19 saves and a 3.36 ERA in 66 games.
It’s easy to make the correlation that Pujols’ homer led to Lidge’s struggles, but other factors contributed.
“It was never related to that,” Lidge said. “Mechanically, I was off. I was trying different things, throwing different pitches. It was a compilation of things. I got over it a while ago. Maybe it made me better because it helped give me good perspective. It’s made me mentally tougher.”
her pitch than Philly.
“I like the front office, my teammates and the fans here,” he said. “The fans are so passionate and they feel it’s a mission to make sure the other team doesn’t feel comfortable and I think that’s a great thing for home-field advantage.”
They’re loving him now – until he blows a save.
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