Categories: 2009 RecapsPosts

Unexpected: Lidge Blows It; Expected: Everything Else

It happened. It finally happened.

Brad Lidge blew his first save as a Phillie. He was handed a 5-4 lead going into the ninth inning, but he couldn’t hold it; moreover, he completely let it overcome him, as the Padres won a relative laugher, 8-5. Lidge did get a positive ovation upon his exit, but it wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.

Brett Myers had his best outing yet, though he surrendered a mammoth drive by Adrian Gonzalez. Otherwise, he went 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out six. Scott Eyre did his job in relief, but Ryan Madson couldn’t — for the second night in a row. He allowed the Padres to tie the game.

Madson’s blown save is one thing we’re starting to expect as Phillies fans. Two other things we can expect: sterling offensive efforts from Chase Utley (HR) and Raul Ibanez (2-for-4, HR). But that’s it. We expect Jimmy Rollins to hit poorly, and he went 1-for-5. We expect bad bench play, and pinch hitters went 0-for-3. Yes, this isn’t the 2008 Phillies. At least not now. Not even close.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.