While everyone tries to figure out what’s wrong with Brad Lidge, something else the Phils are doing is flying a little bit under the radar.
They may be having trouble at the end of games, but their shaky starting pitching is starting to round into form.
Last night they got a second straight solid outing from Antonio Bastardo, who gave them five solid innings to pick up his second win.
Yes, Brett Myers is lost for the season. And the Phils likely will look to add a veteran arm to their rotation before the trade deadline. But the fact is their starting pitching is looking pretty solid.
Jamie Moyer seems to have righted his ship after he started the year looking every bit the 46-year-old journeyman junkballer.
Joe Blanton has now strung together a series of solid starts.
And Cole Hamels has been looking very much like the ace of the playoffs last fall.
Then there’s that ninth inning. Brad Lidge, who was only perfect last year, is continuing to have his struggles.
If not for two Lidge hiccups – helped Friday night by a rare miscue by third baseman Pedro Feliz – that cost the Phils tow games, they may have just rolled undefeated through the Left Coast. Lidge followed his Friday night problem by serving up a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth Saturday afternoon. He was a strike away from sealing the deal.
The question now is what to do with Lidge? Here’s the easy answer: Nothing.
Lidge was perfect last year. That was an anomaly. This year he’s already blown six save oportunities. So what.
Lidge is still effective. Leave him alone.
In the meantime, the Phils continue to be three games up on the Mets and heading for a showdown in New York starting Tuesday night that would allow them to stick a dagger in the heart of Gotham City.
They may be having trouble at the end of games, but their shaky starting pitching is starting to round into form.
Last night they got a second straight solid outing from Antonio Bastardo, who gave them five solid innings to pick up his second win.
Yes, Brett Myers is lost for the season. And the Phils likely will look to add a veteran arm to their rotation before the trade deadline. But the fact is their starting pitching is looking pretty solid.
Jamie Moyer seems to have righted his ship after he started the year looking every bit the 46-year-old journeyman junkballer.
Joe Blanton has now strung together a series of solid starts.
And Cole Hamels has been looking very much like the ace of the playoffs last fall.
Then there’s that ninth inning. Brad Lidge, who was only perfect last year, is continuing to have his struggles.
If not for two Lidge hiccups – helped Friday night by a rare miscue by third baseman Pedro Feliz – that cost the Phils tow games, they may have just rolled undefeated through the Left Coast. Lidge followed his Friday night problem by serving up a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth Saturday afternoon. He was a strike away from sealing the deal.
The question now is what to do with Lidge? Here’s the easy answer: Nothing.
Lidge was perfect last year. That was an anomaly. This year he’s already blown six save oportunities. So what.
Lidge is still effective. Leave him alone.
In the meantime, the Phils continue to be three games up on the Mets and heading for a showdown in New York starting Tuesday night that would allow them to stick a dagger in the heart of Gotham City.
Comments