Houston – Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge spent a sleepless night, surrounded by empty bottles.
Connect the dots and the closer seems to have become a cliché, struggling to come to grips with agonizing failure on the biggest stage. Problem is, the facts get in the way.
Lidge awoke during the night, not because he was replaying Scott Podsednik’s unlikely World Series walk-off home run, but rather it was his turn to change diapers.
“I was up with my 11-month-old daughter (Avery),” Lidge said during Monday’s workout at Minute Maid Park. “After that, I wasn’t too worried about what happened.”
Nonetheless, as the Astros host the first World Series in Texas tonight, there’s a growing concern about Lidge. In a week’s span, he has experienced two unfavorable verdicts in the most stressful and public trails of his career.
Even more troubling is that both came on home runs. Not once during the regular season did Lidge allow home runs in back-to-back outings.
It has led to repeated questions that something must be wrong with Lidge, that the Astros’ Superman has lost starch in his cape because of poor pitch selection, a mechanical glitch, a psychological tick. Something.
“You can read into all you want,” catcher Brad Ausmus said. “But I am telling you there’s no difference in Brad Lidge.”
His role certainly hasn’t changed, with Houston manager Phil Garner amused at the idea that Lidge needs a breather. “If the opportunity comes up (again), he knows he will get the ball,” Garner said.
Lidge acknowledges that there is no worse feeling than squandering a game. Punch the late-shift time card enough, however, and the layers of epidermis thicken, the mind infects less with demons.
Lidge said Albert Pujols’ home run in the National League Championship Series, which muted a sellout crowd, hurt because it was a mistake. That wasn’t the case with Podsednik.
“I don’t wish I had that one back. I would throw that pitch every time,” Lidge said. “If you don’t think you should have changed anything, then you can’t get too upset.”
There is a common thread in Lidge’s painful failures. He seems to be pitching not to lose, rather than win. Against the Cardinals, he admittedly got “picky” with Jim Edmonds, walking him on five pitches to bring up Pujols. Lidge fell behind Podsednik 2-1, and knowing he was a threat to steal, didn’t want to walk him.
The at-bat, he explained, is no reason to lift the hood and begin an overhaul.
“I don’t need to look at the film. I threw a fastball, and he hit a home run. You tip your hat and move on,” said Lidge 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA and three saves in this year’s playoffs.
“I feel great mechanically, same as I have all year. Sometimes you can throw a 99 mph fastball on the knees and a guy will take it out. You don’t change your mechanics because of that.”
Lidge has a terrific four-seam fastball, often touching 95 mph. That pitch is the bait, and his slider is the switch. Lidge’s past success, more than anything else, screams to teammates that his past week has been a fluke, particularly since “he knows he’s still dominant,” pitcher Brandon Backe said.
Lidge has converted 70 of his past 76 regular-season save chances and ran off 24 straight from June 10 to Sept. 30.
“I want him out there,” veteran Jeff Bagwell said. “Those home runs, I am sure that’s the last time you are going to see that.”
Lidge’s confidence has not wavered. And there are no traces of doubt in his voice, or bags under his eyes to suggest otherwise.
“There are certain things that require retrospection and understanding. Then there’s pitching,” Lidge said. “I let it eat. I’ve got a fastball and a slider, and I throw them hard and try to hit my spots. Either I do or I don’t.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
