Coming around: Lidge's slider is starting to bite, and that has everyone encouraged.

The last pitch Brad Lidge threw Tuesday was a hanging slider to St. Louis pinch-hitter Jon Jay. It was hit deep into the right-field gap, but Shane Victorino chased it down at the warning track as Jayson Werth stood nearby and pumped his fist.

Of the six sliders Lidge threw, all were strikes. Three times, St. Louis batters whiffed on the slider. But the final one to Jay was left up in the zone.

"That was the only one where I tried to overdo it," Lidge said.

He paused.

"But you know, it's funny: Last year that pitch would have been hit out," Lidge said. "But because of the little extra deception and better mechanics, it makes them miss it a hair more. So when I do make mistakes now, even then it's not as bad."

Lost in the hoopla of fans running onto the field, Cole Hamels' vintage performance, and Carlos Ruiz's clutch hitting, Lidge delivered an encouraging performance for the Phillies on Tuesday.

Lidge entered the game with the tying run on second and no one out in the ninth. He had swings and misses on four of his nine total pitches.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he was impressed with Lidge's stuff.

The righthander could throw his slider early in counts and on consecutive pitches, a foreboding sign for hitters. Lidge said the slider already felt improved from last season.

"I can tell a big difference," Lidge said. "The pitches I execute right have a lot more bite on them and a lot more break. And the ones I do miss with, it's not as easy for the hitter to see it because my mechanics are better."

Lidge explained it this way: When he had the right-knee injury during the 2009 season, he had to alter his mechanics to be comfortable on the mound. That put strain on his elbow, which required surgery along with the knee in the off-season.

The new mechanics also greatly disrupted his control.

Because he is fully healthy, Lidge said, he can put all the pressure on his leg during his rotation like he used to. In 2009, Lidge said, his arm would fly open because he was placing less pressure on his backside. Hitters could pick up on the grip and motion of the ball earlier. Now, Lidge said, he can hide the ball better, as he did in 2008.

That could make all the difference for Lidge, who is attempting to reclaim the form he had in 2008, when he was the game's best closer. In 2009, he was the worst.

It's early in 2010 for the reliever, but Lidge said that a lot of things about Tuesday's outing pleased him.

"I'm very excited with the way it went," Lidge said.