DARREN CALABRESE / Canadian Press
Phillies closer Brad Lidge celebrates his first save since June 1 with catcher Carlos Ruiz. Chan Ho Park, Ryan Madson and Lidge combined for four scoreless innings to preserve the win for Jamie Moyer.
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Phils rally to win with bullpen help
TORONTO - Brad Lidge felt nervous at first, entering yesterday's game in the ninth inning with a one-run lead.
The closer who was perfect last season had not earned a save since June 1, spending most of the month on the disabled list with a sprained right knee. He had blown six saves before that, but the Phillies suffered in his absence, losing 12 of 16 games.
The Phils, trying to reverse the worst stretch of their season, received a much-needed save from Lidge, who picked a runner off second base and closed a 5-4 win against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The Phillies scored four of their runs in a fourth inning that included a two-run triple by Chase Utley. They took two of three in Toronto after losing four consecutive series, and their bullpen looked stronger than it had in weeks.
"It's huge," said Lidge. "We know how effective we can be when we're all at our best, and everybody is feeling pretty darn good right now. Based on last year, and based on our careers, we know what we're capable of."
Because of past success, Lidge's confidence has remained mostly intact through this shaky season. But after he blew two consecutive saves in Los Angeles earlier this month, the closer admitted to a measure of self-doubt. The next week, the team placed him on the 15-day disabled list.
Lidge's first appearance since returning came in Friday's loss, when he allowed two hits and walked two in one-third of an inning. Despite the results, that game demonstrated to Lidge that he could drive off his back leg without altering his mechanics to avoid knee pain.
But yesterday's situation presented heightened intensity, and Lidge said he felt mild nerves at first. The Phillies had won Saturday after Charlie Manuel's Friday night team meeting, and Lidge was pitching to protect the team's fragile momentum.
The first batter in the ninth, catcher Raul Chavez, surprised everyone - and irritated Lidge - by bunting toward third base for a single. The pitcher paced around the mound for a few minutes, checking his knee and emotions.
"I guess they probably knew why I came off the DL and decided to test it," he said. "But I was able to get to it, grab the ball, throw it, no damage. I walked around the mound to try and take inventory and make sure everything felt all right, and it did."
Lidge was relieved, but unhappy with Chavez. "At first, it kind of [ticked] me off, but I remember thinking, 'OK, runner on first, no out, let's get it done,' " he said. "It's not like he did anything super cheap, I just didn't like it."
Lidge then walked Marco Scutaro, moving John McDonald, who pinch-ran for Chavez, into scoring position with no outs. But memories of recent blown saves did not overpower Lidge's refreshed mechanics.
"Today I had the feeling that it was going to work, that it was going to get done," he said. "There are times when the ball doesn't go where I want it to go, and I have to change my mechanics . . . [but] being able to use my back leg and drive off it, that really helps my fastball. That's the biggest thing for me is being able to throw that pitch and being able to locate it better."
Aaron Hill popped out, and Lidge helped his cause by spinning off the rubber and catching McDonald in a rundown between second and third. The closer then got Vernon Wells to ground to short, and earned a long-awaited save.
"The difference today was I felt like I had control of the game," he said. "I didn't feel like the game was out of my control."
Contact staff writer Andy Martino at 215-854-4874 or amartino@phillynews.com.
