Posted: Sunday, September 27, 2009, 7:03 PM | 23 comments |
 

Anatomy of Madson's save
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“I don’t have a good change-up today,” Ryan Madson told his catcher, Paul Bako, when he entered the game with one on and two out in the eighth inning today, and the Phillies leading Milwaukee 6-5.

"All right,” said Bako. “Let’s go.”

           
It was perhaps a hidden blessing that Madson was without his best breaking pitch yesterday. Relying on his fastball, Madson powered his way to a four-out save, with help from a caught stealing to end the eighth.
           
The pitch the Madson calls a sinker consistently reached 97-m.ph. in the ninth inning, saving the Phillies from another potential late-game disaster.
           
“I don’t think that’s allowed to be called a sinker,” said Chad Durbin, who shut out the Brewers through 1 1/3 of the most important innings he has thrown all year. “It’s an exploding something-or-other.”
           
In a previous audition to replace Brad Lidge as closer, Madson lost a game to the New York Mets Sept. 12 when David Wright homered on a first-pitch change-up.
           
“I just re-learned a lesson that day,” about when to use the change-up, Madson said.
           
Manager Charlie Manuel spoke with Madson soon after that game, reminding him not to use his second-best pitch in a key situation. “I’m a best-pitch guy,” Manuel said yesterday. “If you get beat on your best pitch, then I’m alright with that.”
           
“The David Wright home run on that first-pitch change-up really put things into perspective” for Madson, said Jimmy Rollins, who added he has seen a more determined Madson ever since.
           
When Mike Cameron struck out looking at a fastball to end yesterday’s game, Madson reacted with uncharacteristic emotion; he screamed, pumped his fist three times and slapped hands forcefully with Bako.
           
“It was just a buildup of a couple of frustrating days,” Madson said. “It felt really good."
Posted by Andy Martino @ 7:03 PM  Permalink | 23 comments
23
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:32 PM, 09/27/2009
    Time to name Madson the closer. Give him this last week to tune up for the playoffs.
    — phillysmith
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:50 PM, 09/27/2009
    Unless Myers is a lot healthier than we think, I agree. The Phils' best chance of repeating will come with their best relief pitcher closing games. That's clearly Ryan Madsen, for better or for worse.
    — jmk1512
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:19 PM, 09/27/2009
    I still think Pedro might be crafty enough to be a closer. But his health is an unknown, and the way Lee has pitched the last month, they need starting pitching.
    — fmMD
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:19 PM, 09/27/2009
    hes got balls. Pujols still has Lidge's in his back pocket.
    — gulls3012
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:19 PM, 09/27/2009
    It's hard to argue against Madson as the closer. He proved today that he can step-up in a key situation. If the Phillies had lost today, we ALL would have been ready to scream. Thanks, Ryan, for a great job. Keep it up for another six weeks!
    — Bill from Delaware
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:21 PM, 09/27/2009
    I think Madson is capable of 2 inning saves. Pitching the 8th can help him settle down an be loose in the 9th, especially since he used to be a starter. He can be a poor man's Mariano Rivera when he was younger or like Joaquin Soria is now with his 2 inning saves. I think it's the better alternative considering the relieve staff this year.
    — Jay25
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:33 PM, 09/27/2009
    Jamie Moyer is great!
    — Bill from Delaware
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:45 PM, 09/27/2009
    There was a good post-game interview with him on the radio talking about what Wagner and Lidge told him about the closer's role and developing the mentality. His stuff is there, it's just a matter of getting his mind around it -- which requires us to go through the growing pains with him along the way. Phillysmith is dead on though.
    — evolutionary
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:40 PM, 09/27/2009
    Maybe he is mentally there now? Up till today he pitched like sawdust up there tween the ears when he was closing
    — dlauver1
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:02 PM, 09/27/2009
    Kidnap Trevor Hoffmann
    — mick314
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:10 PM, 09/27/2009
    No need to name anyone "closer". Just throw out there the best guy for the situation.
    — JimG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:54 PM, 09/27/2009
    Thanks, Andy, now you have told the whole world what Madson will pitch in a tight situation.
    — Delaware Jim
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:43 PM, 09/27/2009
    Their closer is going to be J.A.Happ. Biggest start this week is by Pedro. If he's healthy, J.A. goes to the closer role. Need a guy to get you a couple of innings like the 6th and the 7th? You could do a lot worse than Jamie Moyer. The man just knows how to pitch: location, location location. Get Park healthy and the long relief problem goes away. They only have to win 3 out of 7 even if the Braves win 'em all. Things are just fine. And by the way, for those of us who lived through it and had our hearts broken, '64 will never go away. But this is a far superior team to that one, far deeper starting pitching and a better lineup from top to bottom. Ask yourself this: if someone had offered you a 5 game lead with 7 to play in April would you have taken it? Be happy.
    — Al Wilson
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:18 AM, 09/28/2009
    Charlie will do what's best for his Club House. He ain't sayin' nothin' until he thinks they have to hear it --- & I think that will be soon.
    — yobill626
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:27 AM, 09/28/2009
    Tough to contest PhillySmith's contention although they might like Myers because of experience and it keeps strength in the setup. It's as important that Romero, Myers, Park be healthy in the next few days. I liked that Charlie went to him in the 8th once he sniffed trouble. Al Wilson, I disagree. 1964 went away when Tug got Willie Wilson on a 1-2 pitch. It's still a tough week. Not planning on help from the Braves, amd tomorrow is the 7th straight day of a potential 13 days in a row for a weary bunch.
    — KBland


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