The Phillies v. Cardinals game on Tuesday night was nothing spectacular for either side. Starting pitchers Brett Myers (5.1IP, 5ER) and Adam Wainwright (6IP, 7ER) were both mediocre at best, while the combined pitching staffs slugged it out for a whose-pitching-staff-can-try-and-lose-the-most offensive shootout.
There was one story line that caught my attention, however, as I tuned into this game in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Cardinals went down 1-2-3, sending the game into the top of the ninth with the Phillies holding a three-run lead. Entering the ninth, this game was in a save situation, so Phillies closer Brad Lidge began to warm up in the bullpen.
In the top of the ninth, however, the Phillies tagged on another run, making it a 10-6 game and no longer a save situation.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel followed the thought pattern of most managers in this situation: My closer is already warmed up, and even though this isn’t a save situation anymore he can go ahead and close this game out.
Manuel forgot one minor detail in his decision to send Lidge to the mound: the first batter due up in the bottom of the ninth was Albert Pujols.
Yes, that Albert Pujols. The guy who wrecked two years of Brad Lidge’s career with one swing.
"Oh God Please Hit The Ceiling or Something..."
Here is the play-by-play from the Cardinals ninth inning:
- B. Lidge relieved R. Madson
- A. Pujols homered to deep left
Brad Lidge’s second pitch was a belt-high 94mph four-seam-fastball right over the heart of the plate that Albert Pujols delivered to a fan sitting in Section 346, Row ZZ, Seat 9. Translation: it went somewhere far, far away.
Well played, Charlie Manuel…
All I am saying is that if your team is in a non-save situation and the next batter up is your closer’s personal home-wrecker/life-wrecker/career-wrecker SIT THE KID DOWN!
Regardless of a boring game I found it entertaining to take a stroll down memory lane and watch Brad Lidge give himself whiplash watching a pitch sail towards Never-Land in the left field bleachers.
Despite Albert Pujols’ homerun being an A-Rod Homerun (meaning that it was hit in the ninth inning when his team was either down a lot or up a lot and helped the team in no way whatsoever), it was a no-doubter off the bat and Brad Lidge’s face as he watched it fly away was simply priceless.
If Brad Lidge blows eight of his next ten save opportunities and is removed from the closer role I’ll know why, and I’ll blame Charlie Manuel…
sk.
love me some Pujols!!! Lidge checks in his closet and under his bed every night to see if Pujols is there before he goes to sleep. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone so dominated by one player as much as Lidge is by ole Alby!!!
Me and my roommate were just talking about your last point tonight. In major professional sports, I don’t believe there is one player that has so greatly influenced another player’s career. In layman’s terms, Albert has simply OWNED lidge.
Thanks for the comment Seth.
sk.
While all of us remember the blast in the NLCS against Lidge (one of my personal favorite moments), last night’s home run was the first Pujols had against Lidge in the regular season. His career numbers against the now-Phillies closer are .278/.391/.500, which are good, obviously, but not untouchable.
In 2008, Lidge walked him once and got him out twice (one was a deep fly, though.)
So while Pujols has had success against Lidge, he’s not necessarily Lidge’s worst nightmare. Jason Bay has two home runs and a .400 average against him and Prince Fielder has four hits (2 HR) in 7 ABs against Lidge.
Stats are one thing, but all it takes is one at-bat to have a complete mental edge over someone. I’m not saying he currently does, but for a while Brad Lidge was completely out of whack because of a home run he surrendered to Albert Pujols.
Maybe he is over it, maybe not, but the Pujols/Lidge relationship will live on in infamy.
sk.
I have to agree with Scotty here (write it down in a book somewhere, date and time)… Pujols OWNS, and I mean owns by the webster’s dictionary definition, OWNS brad lidge
Did you see the shot that Albert Pujols
hit off Zach Duke yesterday in Pittsburgh? Dead center off the batters eye wall, maybe 450ft!
There can only be one Will….