LIGHTS DIM LIDGE BLOWS ANOTHER . . . BUT WAIT

by Max Blue

http://maxblue3.tripod.com

                        Lidge blew number four, but the team bailed him out,

                        with Condrey, defense, and a Ruiz two-base clout.

                        King Cole and the pen held the lead,

                        ’til the painful 9^th inning Lidge bleed.

                        Are we allowed a mild shout?

Sunday, May 24, 2009. Yankee Stadium (new), New York, New York.

Philadelphia – 4, New York Yankees – 3 (11 innings).

WP – Condrey (4-0), LP – Tomko (0-1).

H – Durbin (3), Eyre (7), Madson (9). BS – Lidge (4).

HR – Teixeira (13) 6^th.

In the sixth inning with a 3-1 lead, Cole Hamels, his pitch count edging toward the red zone of 100, faces Yankees’ first baseman, Mark Teixeira ( pronounced Ta share a), their latest multi-million dollar man. Hamels fires a 92 miles per hour fastball belt high, close to the hands; the T-man swings hard and shatters his bat, the splintered barrel flying past Pedro Feliz’ head, playing back at third base. Hamels feels the joy of a pitch well-delivered, then watches in disbelief as the line drive catches an updraft and clears the nearby left field wall for a homerun. What the hell happened?

Never mind, the King still has a lead, and finishes his quality start and his 109-pitch day by getting three more outs and turning it over to his bullpen. Sorry, King, but Lights Dim Lidge, still looking for his groove, can’t hold the lead, although he somehow manages to record a blown save and a real save in the same inning. After giving up the game-tying run in the ninth, Lidge reaches deep and gives his team an extra inning chance by getting a third out tap to first with the winning run on third base.

The Champs fail in the 10^th, and Clay Condrey starts the Yankee tenth giving up back-to-back singles to Jeter and Damon. The baseball gods seem to have dropped Lidge and picked Condrey for the 2009 angel dust. The embattled Clay-man faces the switch-hitting broken-bat T-man with the game on the line. No broken bat this time – Teixeira centers the pitch and smacks what he thinks is a game-winner – but wait – it’s a sizzling grounder right at Chase Utley shifted way around and back on the outfield grass. Utley snags it and whips a chest-high throw to J-roll who flicks his toe onto the bag at second and rifles to Howard at first for a double play – defense rules. Condrey, catches his breath with an intentional walk to A-rod, then retires Pena, in for Cano, on a can-of-corn to center.

Brett Tomko, an old Phillies’ nemesis, pitches the 11^th inning for the Yankees. The first two outs are easy, then he walks Chase Utley to get to Carlos Ruiz, the runty Phils’ catcher, who until now, strikes no fear into Phils’ foes hearts. But lately, the guy his mates call Chooch, has been seeing the ball well, and staying back on breaking pitches that in the past have made him look bad. Chooch battles; he works the count; he fouls off pitch after nasty pitch, then on the ninth pitch of the at-bat lines an inside pitch tight to the line in left, scoring Utley with the game-winner when Condrey has a 1-2-3 eleventh. Thank you baseball gods.