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BY SCOTT LAUBER
ATLANTA -- If there was one area, above all others, that separated the Phillies from everyone else last season, it was the bullpen. More specifically, it was the back of the bullpen, the setup men and the closer, who safeguarded late-inning leads like the Secret Service protects the President.
When the Phillies led after seven innings, they were 65-9, thanks in extra-large measure to Ryan Madson (right, AP photo). He took over in late August for injured setup man Tom Gordon, threw with unprecedented high-90s velocity and posted a 0.63 ERA in his last 14 regular-season appearances.
And, when the Phillies led after eight innings, they were 79-0, making them one of three teams (the Yankees were 77-0, the Giants were 60-0) to remain undefeated in such situations. Brad Lidge, of course, was most responsible for that, going 41-for-41 in regular-season save opportunities and posting a miniscule 1.95 ERA. He had, quite literally, the perfect season.
This year, Madson and Lidge haven't been so perfect.
The Phillies are only 29-6 when leading after seven innings, 4-4 when tied after seven, 31-6 when leading after eight and 4-2 when tied after eight. Last night, at Turner Field, Madson allowed three eighth-inning runs on Brian McCann's leadoff single, Matt Diaz's one-out RBI double and Garret Anderson's two-run homer into the Atlanta bullpen, turning a 2-2 tie into a 5-2 Phillies loss and a Braves' three-game sweep.
As they return to the Bank tonight to open a three-game series against the Mets, the Phils are in a first-place tie with the Marlins, one game behind the third-place Mets and only two games behind the fourth-place Braves. Suddenly, it's anybody's game (well, anybody's except Washington) in the NL East. And while there's plenty of blame to go around in the Phillies' clubhouse (.209-hitting Jimmy Rollins and a starting rotation that doesn't pitch deep enough into games deserve their fair share), the fact is that if Madson and Lidge were having merely mediocre seasons, the Phillies might be leading the division by four or five games.
Instead, Lidge is 0-3 with a 7.57 ERA and six blown saves in 20 chances. Madson, meanwhile, after getting off to a great start, is 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA and three blown saves since June 16.
That's worth repeating: Between them, Madson-post June 16 and Lidge all season are 0-6 with nine -- nine! -- blown saves.
"You can't continue to lose games in the eighth and ninth inning," Charlie Manuel said last night.
This season, the Phillies certainly do. And while the late-inning struggle for Madson and Lidge might make for great drama on "The Pen," the relievers' six-episode reality TV show on MLB Network, it too often has been the root of the Phillies' demise.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
ATLANTA -- So, June is finally over, and for the Phillies, that's a good thing. They went 11-15 in June, their first losing month since, well, last June, when they went 12-14. Last night's loss to the Braves was particularly deflating. They led 4-3 in the eighth inning after back-to-back homers by John Mayberry Jr. and Pedro Feliz, only to have Ryan Madson cough up the lead in the eighth and Martin Prado win it with a single in the 10th against Chan Ho Park. Yet, somehow, they're still in first place, 1-1/2 games ahead of the Marlins and three up on the free-falling Mets.Just imagine if they were actually, you know, playing well.
"We've got to turn this thing around and get back to playing the type of baseball that made us champs last year," Jayson Werth said from a quiet clubhouse. "It seems like anything we can do to lose a game right now we're doing it. Both sides of the ball. We're still really good. I still feel like we're the best team in baseball. We've just to find a way to start winning games. We'll be all right."
Are you as convinced as Werth is?
***
When Jimmy Rollins batted in the ninth inning, a chant rose from a segment of the crowd at Turner Field.
".208! .208!"
That was Rollins' batting average before he struck out on a check swing. In his highly anticipated return to the lineup after last week's four-game benching, J-Roll went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, deepening his offensive malaise to 0-for-24 (and 7-for-61). He has the worst on-base percentage (.250) among all players who are eligible for either league's batting title. Charlie Manuel has tried just about every remedy, from individual hitting sessions and video study to dropping him in the lineup and benching him for an extended spell.
But what if, as I wrote in today's News Journal, Rollins is just having one of those years? Like, you know, when Pat Burrell batted .209 in 2003. Manuel already seems to be allowing for that possibility.
"There's been a lot of guys that have been elected to the Hall of Fame that have had terrible years," Manuel said before last night's game. "Everybody goes through that. That's a part of the game."
***
On June 16, I wrote this feature on Madson. At the time, he was 2-1 with four saves, one blown save, 13 holds, a 1.95 ERA and had allowed only 33 baserunners (24 hits, nine walks) in 32-1/3 innings. But, since June 16, Madson is 0-2 with no saves, three blown saves, one hold, a 9.52 ERA and has allowed 16 baserunners (nine hits, seven walks) in 5-2/3 innings.
If I had anything to do with that, I apologize.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
In late April, when Brad Lidge was shut down for five days after getting his first cortisone injection in his balky right knee, I asked Ryan Madson if there's a discernible difference between pitching the eighth inning with a one-run lead and pitching the ninth. After all, we know there are many times when a setup guy mows down the middle of a lineup in a save situation, and the closer gets the easy task of facing the bottom of a lineup. Anyway, here's what Madson said:
"There's definitely a difference in pitching the ninth inning. Like Billy Wagner used to say, if I don't have it that night, there's no cavalry behind me. You're kind of the last-man standing. It's an overall sense of finality. It's a mentality that you have to get used to, and I think I can do that."
So, tonight, after allowing Gregg Zaun's solo homer and the game-winning, two-run shot by Brian Roberts (on a two-out, two-strike fastball) in a deflating 6-5 loss, Madson stood in front of his locker and refused to blame the defeat on his having to get accustomed to the closer role. And while that's noble (none of Madson's teammates wanted to hear excuses after a loss like this), it's reasonable to believe that Madson, as a fill-in novice closer, is in a tough spot.
By all accounts, Madson's problem tonight was pitch location. The pitch to Roberts, in particular, was up and over the plate, and it was hit hard. Pitch selection may have been an issue, too. Madson threw 22 pitches tonight, 19 fastballs. He threw only two of his signature changeups, both to Roberts. But based on our previous conversations about closing, I asked Madson if he makes a pitch differently when he's in trouble in the ninth inning. Knowing there's no safety net if he allows a run in the ninth, is he more careful (too careful?) when he gets in trouble?
"No," Madson said. "You just try to stay aggressive. I thought I did a good job throwing first-pitch strikes and getting ahead of the guys. I just couldn't put them away tonight."
In case you're wondering, Madson will be back on the mound tomorrow if the Phillies have the lead in the ninth.
"Madson's our closer," Charlie Manuel said.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, the way Ryan Madson tells it, Scott Boras visited his South Jersey home a few weeks after the World Series. Lugging volumes of statistical data, the high-powered agent sat in the living room and presented all the pertinent information. One season from his first crack at free agency -- and fresh off a postseason in which he emerged as a dominant eighth-inning reliever, Madson had two options:
a) He could've authorized Boras to negotiate a multi-year contract extension with the Phillies, a choice that would bring instant financial security for him and his wife, Sarah, but perhaps sacrifice some of his maximum earning power.
b) He could've elected for one last round of arbitration, a process that would bring an annual raise from his $1.4 million salary in 2008, and pressed his luck for a larger, longer-term payday (and, possibly, a job as a closer) on the free-agent market.
Boras offered his opinion, as always. Ultimately, though, the decision belonged to the Madsons.
They chose Option A.
Six months later, Madson believes -- nay, he knows -- it was the right one. In January, he signed a three-year, $12 million extension, meaning he should have no trouble sending his three children to college someday, and he'll still be able to test the open market after the 2011 season, when he'll still be only 31. But without the specter of free agency looming this year, he told Philled In he has been able to relax and shrug off bad outings. Honestly, though, I can't recall Madson having any of those. In 33 appearances, he has a 1.95 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 32-1/3 innings, and hasn't allowed a run since May 16, a span of 14-2/3 innings. If he isn't the best setup man in the majors, he's in the top five, and with Brad Lidge sidelined until at least next Tuesday with inflammation of the right knee, he has filled in as the closer and gone 2-for-2 in save opportunities.
"I don't think I'd be having this much success if I had all the pressure sitting on this year right now, if I was saying, 'I better get it done this year or else who knows?'" Madson said Sunday. "I definitely give a lot of credit for my success to signing that contract."
But, as I wrote in today's News Journal, Madson owes a great debt to Tom Gordon, too. It was Gordon who took him last May to see Keith Kocher, a physical therapist in Tempe, Ariz., and it was Kocher who prescribed a daily exercise routine that has strengthened Madson's shoulder. The result: His fastball velocity has climbed into the upper-90s, making his already nasty changeup even nastier.
Now, these days, eyebrows get raised when a 28-year-old pitcher in his sixth major-league season experiences a velocity spike. But Madson, 6-foot-6 and only 200 pounds, said he never considered using performance-enhancing drugs, and if he ever was accused, well, his spaghetti arms would seem to prove his innocence. Madson explains his faster fastball thusly: He's finally healthy, and Kocher's program has made him stronger.
"Early on, I said, 'If I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it the right way, and I don't care what anybody else is doing,'" Madson said. "Who knows how many guys did or didn't? I don't know. I never paid attention to it because I just knew, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I'm not going to cheat. For that to be a question, it's just society, in general right now."
***
Here's your Blue Jays-Phillies series preview. Back with more later today.
BLUE JAYS (34-31) at PHILLIES (36-25)
Tonight, 7:05: LHP Ricky Romero (3-3, 3.71) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (4-2, 4.62)
Tomorrow, 7:05: RHP Scott Richmond (4-3, 3.90) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.11)
Thursday, 1:05: RHP Casey Janssen (2-3, 6.23) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.17)
Hot: Blue Jays 3B Scott Rolen, who played for the Phillies from 1996 to 2002, has 11 hits in his last 22 at-bats (.500); Blue Jays RF Alex Rios is 8-for-16 (.500) with two homers and four RBIs in his last four games; Phillies 2B Chase Utley is 35-for-102 (.343) with five homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games since May 15; Phillies 3B Pedro Feliz has hit safely in 16 of his last 19 games, batting .361 (26-for-72) with 12 RBIs.
Not: Blue Jays CF Vernon Wells is hitless in 17 at-bats, 4-for-45 (.089) and hasn't homered in 137 at-bats, the longest drought of his career; Blue Jays OF Adam Lind is hitless in eight at-bats; Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins is 7-for-44 (.159) with a .174 on-base percentage in the last 10 games; Phillies C Carlos Ruiz has two hits in his last 15 at-bats after a torrid 16-for-39 stretch.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
NEW YORK -- Good morning from new Yankee Stadium. A few notes to pass along before we head into the Phillies' clubhouse to see what's what:
1. Charlie Manuel believes Brad Lidge is healthy. Why? Well, Lidge's velocity has been normal (mid-90s), and Manuel said yesterday that his follow-through is good. But today is Game 42, which means we're more than a quarter of the way through the season, and Lidge's ERA is 9.16 ERA. He's only 8-for-11 in save chances, and after allowing only 17 runs (15 earned) and two home runs all of last season, he already has given up 19 runs and six homers this year. Obviously, nobody expected Lidge to be perfect again. But nobody expected him to struggle like this either. The Phillies aren't about to do anything rash, like replace Lidge with Ryan Madson, but they have to be concerned about him, too.
2. With CC Sabathia starting for the Yankees, Chase Utley is getting a day off. Personally, I would've used today to give Ryan Howard a break. He's 0-for-9 in the series, hitless in his last 10 at-bats overall, and struggles big-time against lefties. But Manuel has opted to rest Utley instead. That's why he's the manager and I'm not, I suppose.
3. One day after hitting his first career homer, John Mayberry Jr. is back in the lineup, batting sixth. I'd like to see Mayberry stick around for a while. He's still raw, still a project, but after watching him hit well during the first half of spring training, I thought he'd be able to help the Phillies, even as a right-handed pinch-hitter. And, at age 25, the time for him to be in the big leagues is now.
4. Within our Sunday MLB notes, we take a closer look at new Yankee Stadium, which is beautiful, but totally unnecessary.
Hoping to write more about Lidge later today, so please check back for that. And, of course, enjoy your Sunday.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, Ryan Madson was sitting in the bullpen the other night when he told his fellow relievers how much he is looking forward to this weekend. There is just something about when the Phillies and Mets get together, he said, that brings out the best in him. Madson mentioned the same thing to me before batting practice Wednesday, so I figured I would ask him a little about the ever-growing rivalry in the NL East, which, I'd argue, has been baseball's most entertaining rivalry since 2007. That was when he made the following observation, one that I think reveals a lot about why the Phils have gotten the better of the Mets over the past two years:
"Some of the guys on their team just wouldn't fit in our clubhouse, and some of the guys here just wouldn't fit with their guys," Madson said. "That's just how it is."
I asked him to elaborate.
"It's one of those things where it's like two totally different mentalities, two different attitudes, everything," he said. "We just don't believe in the same things. Our two teams, it's like oil and water."
Madson didn't come right out and say it, but the implication was clear. There is just something about the makeup of this Phillies team -- call it "heart," call it "mental toughness," call it whatever you want -- that the Mets simply don't seem to have. It's the ingredient that has allowed the Phillies to go 5-6 when trailing after six innings this season, while the Mets are 1-10. It's the intangible that explains why the Phillies are 34-19 over the past two Septembers, while the Mets are 27-26. It's the hard-to-quantify characteristic that's most responsible for the Phillies winning back-to-back division titles and the Mets being playoff outsiders since 2006.
Ever since January 2007, when Jimmy Rollins pronounced the Phils -- not the defending NL East-champion Mets -- were the "team to beat," the Phillies have played with a cool poise that the Mets have seemed to lack. When Carlos Beltran mimicked the "team to beat" line last spring, the Phillies laughed it off. When Cole Hamels was baited into calling the Mets "choke artists" in November, the Big Apple was in an uproar. Last season, the Phillies lost 11 of 18 games to the Mets, yet they still seemed to have the upper hand on their chief rival.
So, the grudge match resumes tonight at the Bank in the opener of a three-game series, the first of 2009 between the clubs. Neither is playing as well as it would like. The Phillies have won five of their last six games but closed April only 11-9, while the Mets (9-12) have dropped seven of 10. Brad Lidge may be available to pitch. Then again, maybe not. It all depends on his bullpen session today. Regardless, Madson will be ready.
"It's always a fun series," he said. "It always does bring out the best in each player. We respect each other's talents, but we both want to be that team on top. We know they're the guys we need to beat, and we enjoy it."
***
We will bring you the very latest on both Lidge (right knee inflammation) and Cole Hamels (sprained left ankle) after they throw in the 'pen, so make sure to check back for that. Meanwhile, here's your Phillies-Mets primer, and please don't forget to follow me -- and Philled In -- on Twitter and Facebook.
METS (9-12) at PHILLIES (11-9)
Tonight, 7:05: RHP Mike Pelfrey (2-0, 6.32) vs. RHP Chan Ho Park (0-0, 7.16)
Tomorrow, 3:40: LHP Oliver Perez (1-2, 9.31) vs. LHP Jamie Moyer (3-1, 5.09)
Sunday, 1:35: RHP John Maine (1-2, 5.40) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (0-2, 8.41)
Hot: Mets CF Carlos Beltran is batting .426 (20-for-47) during a 12-game hitting streak and leads the league with a .388 average; Mets LF Daniel Murphy has 10 hits in his last 26 at-bats (.385); Phillies CF Shane Victorino is batting .349 (15-for-43) with two homers and 11 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak; Phillies LF Raul Ibanez is batting .397 (25-for-63) with six homers and 14 RBIs in his last 16 games.
Not: Mets 3B David Wright is 5-for-24 (.208) with 10 strikeouts in his last six games; Mets SS Jose Reyes is in a 4-for-24 slump; Phillies RF Jayson Werth is 4-for-24 (.167) with eight strikeouts in his last seven games; Phillies C Chris Coste is in a 1-for-14 slump with six strikeouts.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
So, in case you missed it, Barack Obama reached a presidential milestone yesterday when he spent his 100th day in the Oval Office. It was a largely symbolic occasion, but naturally, it gave political analysts the chance to reflect (and pass judgment) on Obama's level of effectiveness during his first 100 days on the job. And, of course, everyone seemed to have an opinion.
Well, the Phillies hit their own marker last night. They played their 20th game -- and finished their first month -- of the season by losing to the Nationals, 4-1, at the Bank. Brett Myers threw OK, except for a bout of wildness in the third inning that included walking pitcher Scott Olsen and a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Zimmerman. Pin this loss, though, on the offense, which left 10 men on base, went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and wasted scoring opportunities in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings.
But I chose to take more of a big-picture approach with the game story in today's News Journal. The Phillies finished April with an 11-9 record, which is somewhat of a wonder when you consider the following:
a) Jimmy Rollins is batting .207 (.241 OBP), and as late as Sunday, was batting .162.
b) The pitching staff has allowed 40 homers and has an NL-worst 5.63 ERA.
c) Luckless ace Cole Hamels has pitched only 17-1/3 innings.
d) The entire organization mourned Harry Kalas' untimely death on April 13.
e) Knee problems have contributed to Brad Lidge's 7.27 ERA.
Given all that, you never would've believed the Phillies could have had a winning month, right? For that, they can thank sizzling Chase Utley (.342, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 1.105 OPS) and Raul Ibanez (.359, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 1.151 OPS) and a relentless offense that has scored nearly half its runs after the sixth inning and already has staged several memorable comebacks. It marks only the second time in Charlie Manuel's five-year tenure that the Phillies have had a winning first month. They went 15-13 last season after going 11-14 (after starting 4-11) in 2007 and 10-14 in both 2006 and 2005. But while Manuel thinks 11-9 is good, he also believes the Phillies can be better, even after facing so many early-season problems.
"You've got to handle all the adversity that comes at you," Manuel said. "That's part of it. We talk about staying focused on what we want to do. At the same time, we can't use those things as excuses. Our record is what it is. ... Fortunate? Yeah, in some ways, maybe we are fortunate. But it is what it is."
So, what do you think? All things considered, are you happy with 11-9?
***
Before last night's game, I had a conversation with Ryan Madson, the fill-in closer until Lidge is ready to pitch. You can read Madson's thoughts, plus get injury updates on Lidge, Hamels and Carlos Ruiz, within the notebook.
***
Day off for the Phils, but stop by later today for more on this weekend's series against the rival Mets. Also, don't forget to follow me -- and Philled In -- on Twitter and Facebook.
BY SCOTT LAUBER
Wondering why Ryan Madson, not Brad Lidge, was pitching in a save situation in the ninth inning tonight?
Evidently, Lidge has some inflammation in his right knee, according to Charlie Manuel. Yes, that is the knee that Lidge had surgically repaired twice before the 2008 season. He had torn cartilage fixed Oct. 1, 2007 (and was walking with crutches at his introductory news conference with the Phillies), then had his meniscus repaired on Feb. 25, 2008. Our man, Geoff Mosher, was in the Phillies' clubhouse tonight when Lidge admitted he got an MRI last week. If Lidge is having knee trouble, that would explain his mechanical problems and his flawed control. Few saves have been stress-free for Lidge lately. On Saturday night in Florida, he loaded the bases before white-knuckling his way to a 34-pitch save.
Lidge listed as day-to-day, but obviously, the Phillies aren't going to take any chances with their All-Star closer, especially with Madson throwing 97 mph in the ninth.
