Paul Hagen: Maybe bullpen isn't the Phillies' weakness

YOU KNOW HOW closers have a song that always blares over the stadium public-address system when the bullpen door swings open and they come into the game to try to earn a save?

Coming into the season, it could have been suggested that Warren Zevon be played every time any Phillies reliever was waved in.

Send lawyers, guns and money . . .

The average Phillies fan fretted more about the bullpen than any other aspect of the team this spring. There wasn't even a close second. And there was a sound basis for that. Brad Lidge and J.C. Romero would start the season on the disabled list. Jose Contreras and Danys Baez were unfamiliar. Antonio Bastardo was the lone lefty, and an unproven one at that. David Herndon was a Rule 5 draft pick. Ryan Madson had only so-so success closing last season in Lidge's absence.

Now, just as it's silly to panic about a player who's off to a slow start just seven games into the season, it's just as unseemly to do an end-zone dance when things are going well after a week.

Still, after they combined for 3 1/3shutout innings in yesterday's 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals in the home opener, allowing just a single baserunner, the Phillies' relievers have a combined earned run average of 1.33.

That's one-point-three-three.

Relievers are people, too, and it didn't escape the notice of the fellas out in the bullpen that the paying customers didn't hold them in the same regard as the high-octane lineup or a rotation that begins with Roy Halladay.

"If you were going to point out [a weakness] I guess we'd be it. Especially with two of the top guys out," righthander Chad Durbin conceded with a shrug.

Added Madson, philosophically: "That's something they talk about every year, every year since I've been here. It's about the bullpen, our weakest link. You're going to have something that's not like the lineup we've got. I mean, we've probably got the best lineup in baseball.

"But that's something they talk about every year and we just let our actions talk more than our words, and that's the kind of bullpen we've got."

There doesn't seem to be any inclination to point to their success to this point and say nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah (or something, ahem, a little stronger) to those who had so little confidence at the start.

That's most likely because most of these pitchers have been around a while and understand all too well how fickle this game can be. And while there's no way the cumulative ERA will be this low when the season ends, there may also be a quiet confidence that they just might be pretty good. No matter what anybody else thinks.

"We feel very comfortable with our bullpen," said pitching coach Rich Dubee. "We've got bigger power down there than we've ever had and that allows you some mistakes. Contreras has been exceptional and Danys, despite some inconsistent streaks, his arm's playing big and he's making good pitches when he needs to make them."

There are several factors that have contributed to the success the bullpen has enjoyed so far.

While it's tempting to consider hitting and pitching separate worlds, which they are, it's also true that each impacts the other. When a team doesn't hit, pitchers feel the need to make every pitch perfect. They tend to nibble and usually get in trouble because of it. Or when the pitchers are getting knocked around, hitters often press at the plate and get themselves out.

So the fact that the Phillies' offense has so far lived up to its advance billing has been a plus.

"They're making it easy on the pitchers to get excited to get three outs so [the hitters] can go do their thing," Durbin said. "It's kind of the way you played when you were little. You only pitched because you wanted to go hit. And that's the idea. You get three outs, or however many you're in there to get, and then get the heck out of their way."

Dubee mentioned the importance of Halladay, whose complete game Sunday in Houston meant that none of the relievers even had to warm up. Manager Charlie Manuel tossed a bouquet at catcher Carlos Ruiz for his ability to set up the hitters for the relievers' out pitch, like Contreras' splitter.

Durbin stranded a pair of runners for starter Cole Hamels in the sixth yesterday. Contreras dominated in the seventh. Baez threw seven straight balls to start the eighth . . . then pitched out of trouble. Madson had a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Phillies' relievers have shown the ability to step up and fill in for the missing pieces to this point. In a twist, now it will be up to the lineup to see if it can follow the lead of the bullpen until Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth heal.

Send e-mail to hagenp@phillynews.com