What’s Bugging Me About Sports This Week: Not Blaming Lidge
What’s bugging me about sports this week…
Fact: Brad Lidge has blown 6 saves so far this season.
Fiction: They were all entirely his fault.
On back-to-back appearances in games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lidge, coincidently now on the 15 day disabled list because of a bum knee, blew two saves. Every commentator, analyst and fan started to suggest that maybe Lidge wouldn’t or shouldn’t be the Phil’s closer anymore because he had become more of a liability then a weapon.
The night of the second game, June 6th, when Charlie Manual put Lidge on the mound in the 9th with a 2-1 lead the fans held their breath. The commentators decided it was time to bring up the previous night’s blown save, which I wouldn’t normally of had a problem with except for one key factor. IT WASN’T LIDGE’S FAULT.
The game on June 5th had a playoff atmosphere and was tight all the way through so naturally Charlie Manuel put Lidge on the mound in the 9th inning. Lidge was one out away from earning the save when Pedro Feliz couldn’t field a grounder on a sure out. The batter, Russell Martin, reached first on the error moving Casey Blake to third and James Loney to second. The Phil’s eventually lost on the next batter, Andre Ethier’s double but that’s not the point.
The next day all the talk was about how last year’s perfect Lidge — 48 for 48 save attempts including the post season — was now on a downward spiral. While they did mention Feliz’s error, it was done so nonchalantly that you would have thought that the error didn’t cost the Phillies the game.
Sure the next night Lidge gave up a homer to Rafeal Furcal in the 9th propelling the game into extra innings and proving to be the catalyst to a 3-2 loss in the 12th. But again that isn’t the issue. While Lidge hasn’t been pitching even close to his ability and has been pretty shaky in big time situations the brouhaha that has been made about back to back blown saves is ridiculous.
It would only be fair for the commentators to mention Feliz’s error every time he appeared on screen like they had been doing for Lidge.
Let’s hope Lidge returns from the DL healthy and ready to live up to his “Lights Out” nickname. Otherwise the Phils may have to bring in Kyra Sedgwick.
