Phils win one the hard way

Inside Brad Lidge's locker was a book written by the Dalai Lama titled How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life. A blue pen served as a bookmark. Lidge is reading it for an online religion course.

The Phillies' closer is a man of faith. And even during outings such as his 30-pitch save of a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, which prompted manager Charlie Manuel to suggest merely watching could cause a heart attack, Lidge remains positive.

"You don't know exactly how it's going to end," the righthander said, "but you know it's going to end right."

It's only a four-game winning streak, but the entire team is starting to believe that again, too. In three days, the Phillies have picked up two games on the first-place Atlanta Braves (but still trail by five).

Sunday brought familiarity at Citizens Bank Park. Last year's National League rookie-of-the-year runner-up J.A. Happ started for the first time since April and pitched decently for five innings. After a 99-minute rain delay, the Phillies rallied in the seventh. The bullpen set up perfectly for Lidge, who, as usual, made things interesting in the ninth.

"We're playing the type of baseball we should be playing," rightfielder Jayson Werth said.

Start with shortstop Jimmy Rollins: In his first month since returning June 22 from the disabled list, Rollins hit .181 in 105 at-bats. In the last four games, he is batting .533 (8 for 15).

In the seventh inning Sunday, Rollins singled home Wilson Valdez, who led off the inning with a pinch-hit double. (That was just as big, considering Valdez hadn't hit the ball in his 15 previous at-bats and went 17 days in between extra-base hits.)

When Rockies leftfielder Carlos Gonzalez kicked Rollins' single into short-center field, Rollins took an extra bag, sliding into second safely on the error.

Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco made outs on the first pitches they saw. But with Ryan Howard batting, Rollins stole third. After Howard walked, reliever Rafael Betancourt threw a wild pitch. The ball didn't bounce far from catcher Miguel Olivo, but Betancourt never broke home to cover. Rollins, who was halfway down the third-base line ready to pounce, did just that.

"He was very alert," Manuel said. "In his mind, he was ready to come in on a ball bobbled."

Before the rain delay in the seventh inning, the Phillies stranded runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings with light rain falling and dark clouds descending on the ballpark.

"We tried to win the game there," Manuel said. The manager was told the forecast called for an extended rain delay, and he wasn't sure the Phils would have another chance to score.

"You make your own luck," Lidge said.

Lidge did just that in the ninth. He struck out Dexter Fowler on three consecutive sliders to begin the inning. But he walked Jonathan Herrera, and that set off a wild ninth. Manuel was asked how Lidge can look so dominant against one batter but then struggle to make it through an inning.

"I don't know," he replied.

The fact remains that Lidge is a far superior pitcher with the bases empty than he is from the stretch. Opponents' batting average is 100 points higher, and their on-base plus slugging percentage is more than 300 points better when there are runners on.

"It was quiet in the dugout," Manuel said.

Lidge struck out Gonzalez and allowed a single to Melvin Mora before walking pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to load the bases. He threw a 2-2 slider to Ian Stewart that broke down and in and was called strike three by home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn.

"Right now," Lidge said, "I'm feeling very confident that whatever is going on around me, it's going to end up good."

Buoyed by four wins, the rest of the Phillies hope they can continue to say the same.