Lidge's perfect postseason ends at wrong time

[November 02, 2009]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- One strike away from preserving his perfect postseason, Brad Lidge fell apart.

In his first World Series appearance since striking out Eric Hinske to clinch the title last year, Lidge gave up three runs in the ninth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies lost 7-4 to the New York Yankees in Game 4 on Sunday night.

The Yankees have a 3-1 lead and can clinch their 27th title in Philadelphia on Monday night.

"You always want to go out there and have good results," Lidge said. "Any time you don't do well, it's frustrating. Obviously, the guys did a great job coming back tonight. I really wish we could have come out with the win here. We've got to get back to New York and keep going. Hopefully I get another chance to get out there and get a win or a save for our team."

Lidge had turned around a nightmare season by going 1-0 with three saves in three chances this postseason. He didn't appear in the first three games against the Yankees and hadn't pitched in 11 days before entering a tie game in the ninth.

After retiring the first two batters, the hard-throwing right-hander struggled. He nearly struck out Johnny Damon on a 2-2 pitch that barely missed. Damon then lined a 3-2 pitch to left for a single. Damon stole second on the first pitch to Mark Teixeira, got up after sliding and took third with no one covering because of an exaggerated shift.

"If I could've put away Damon, it obviously would've been a pretty quick, clean inning," Lidge said. "One pitch away from getting out of there."

Lidge then hit Teixeira with a pitch, bringing up Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod lined an RBI double to put the Yankees ahead and Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single to make it 7-4.

"I threw a fastball in," Lidge said of the pitch to Rodriguez. "I think it was actually a decent pitch, but we've gone in there a lot and you've got to give them some credit, too. I guess it could have been off the plate in, but they've been doing a good job hitting. He's a pretty good hitter."

Lidge hadn't allowed a run in five appearances this postseason. Damon's sprint for third seemed to rattle him.

"Did he lose his focus? I think the first two hitters, he did real well," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was up 1-2 in the count on Damon. Damon had a real good at-bat and ran the count out to 3-2. But once he stole, did he lose focus? I don't know. I mean, he was having trouble. But at the same time, the way he started the inning, he was fine."

Now the defending champs are on the verge of elimination. They'll turn to ace Cliff Lee, who shut down the Yankees in Game 1.

While CC Sabathia pitched effectively on three days' rest for the Yankees, Joe Blanton got the nod over Lee for Game 4 because the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner has never pitched on three days' rest in his career.

Blanton allowed four runs in six innings in his second start of the playoffs.

"I think Joe -- after the first inning when he gave up a couple runs -- he did very well," Manuel said. "I thought he did a real good job."

Lidge was 48 for 48 in save opportunities last season, including seven in the playoffs. Without him, the Phillies probably wouldn't have won the division let alone their second World Series title in franchise history.

But this year was a disaster for Lidge. He led the majors with 11 blown saves and went 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA, temporarily losing his closer's job a couple times.

Manuel didn't commit to using Lidge exclusively as the closer when the playoffs started. But when he needed someone to preserve a 6-5 lead in Game 3 of the NL division series against Colorado, Manuel called on Lidge to pitch the ninth.

Lidge retired Rockies cleanup hitter Troy Tulowitzki with the tying run at second to secure that win. Less than 24 hours later, he struck out Tulowitzki with two runners on to finish a 5-4 victory that sent the Phillies to the NL championship series.

Lidge pitched out of a jam to earn another save in an 8-6 win over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS, and he got his first win of the year in Game 4 when Jimmy Rollins hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth.

[Associated Press; By ROB MAADDI]

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