May 25 -- LIDGE'S JOB SECURE

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, I appeared on a radio show this afternoon on WIP and was asked if the Phillies would consider pulling Brad Lidge from the closer spot, especially after J.C. Romero returns from his 50-game suspension next week. My answer: "Absolutely not."

Turns out, Charlie Manuel had the same answer.

"I want Lidge to feel like we've got all the confidence in the world in him because I do," Manuel said about an hour ago in the Phillies' dugout. "People are going to voice opinions and all that and say, 'Sit him' and all this stuff. What's sitting going to do for him? Sooner or later, he's got to get back out there and pitch and get somebody out. What's going to be good for him is when he goes out and throws a good inning. He does that a couple days in a row, and then, I think you'll see a huge difference. Once he gets his command, he'll be off to the races. Sitting is just kind of prolonging it. That's how I'd look at it if I was a player. If I say to him, 'After the last two days, I'm going to give you a break or slide you into the seventh inning,' how would you feel? I'd say, 'Chuck don't like me too good.' Believe me, that's how I look at it.

"I think his stuff is there, and I think it's just a matter of him making more quality pitches and cutting down on his walks. That's what I think. His stuff will play out over 162 games. That's what makes him a good closer. Will he blow some games? Sure. He had a perfect year last year. He wasn't going to top that. He had to have some letdown this season. And that's baseball."

Asked if he would consider using setup man Ryan Madson as the closer until Lidge gets his stuff together, Manuel said, "No. That's worse. What kind of message is that? That's really worse. That's what Houston did. They used to slide him in the sixth and seventh. What good did that do?"

The answer: It didn't do any good. In 2007, Lidge allowed six runs (three earned) and blew one save in his first two appearances and was removed from the closer role. If anything, then-Astros manager Phil Garner shook Lidge's confidence, and it took a trade to the Phillies after the '07 season for him to regain it.

More on Lidge in tomorrow's News Journal.

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Tonight's lineup against Marlins RHP Chris Volstad (3-3, 3.64):
SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
LF Raul Ibanez
1B Ryan Howard
RF Jayson Werth
CF Shane Victorino
3B Pedro Feliz
C Carlos Ruiz
LHP Jamie Moyer

May 21 -- MOYER MEETS A-ROD; FRIDAY NIGHT LINEUPS

BY SCOTT LAUBER

NEW YORK -- So, Matt Stairs is the Phillies' DH for tonight's game, but that's hardly surprising. Stairs has two hits -- both homers -- in his career against Yankees starter A.J. Burnett.

The question, of course, is who will DH tomorrow night and Sunday, and Philled In's sources in Lehigh Valley say they haven't seen John Mayberry Jr. today. Wonder if he's heading to New York? We'll find out after the game. I've been told the Phillies will make some kind of a move. Asked Charlie Manuel if he'd consider DHing Chris Coste, even though Coste in the Phils' backup catcher. Manuel didn't sound overly enthusiastic about the idea.

A few other things:

--Jamie Moyer exchanged pleasantries with Alex Rodriguez behind the batting cage. Moyer, you'll recall, was outspoken in spring training about A-Rod's steroids revelation. The conversation appeared cordial, and afterward, Moyer said, "Everything's good." OK, good.

--Adam Eaton has been released by the Orioles. But Baltimore can take solace in this: The Phillies are still paying the bulk of Eaton's salary.

--Tonight's lineups:

PHILLIES: SS Jimmy Rollins (.234/2/15), 2B Chase Utley (.295/11/30), LF Raul Ibanez (.349/15/40), 1B Ryan Howard (.266/10/30), RF Jayson Werth (.272/7/24), CF Shane Victorino (.257/4/23), DH Matt Stairs (.304/2/7), 3B Pedro Feliz (.310/2/23), C Carlos Ruiz (.236/0/5). On the mound, RHP Brett Myers (3-2, 4.50).

YANKEES: SS Derek Jeter (.273/5/19), LF Johnny Damon (.318/10/28), 1B Mark Teixeira (.250/11/32), 3B Alex Rodriguez (.171/5/10), DH Hideki Matsui (.252/5/14), RF Nick Swisher (.238/9/23), 2B Robinson Cano (.317/8/25), CF Melky Cabrera (.319/5/18), C Kevin Cash (.077/0/1). On the mound, RHP A.J. Burnett (2-1, 5.02)