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The Biggest Save Of His Career

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By JOEY JOHNSTON jjohnston

@tampatrib.com

Published: October 30, 2008

Star Of The Game: Brad Lidge

It was the perfect season for Lidge, the Phillies' closer who nailed down the franchise's first world championship since 1980 on Wednesday night, when the Phillies held off the Rays 4-3 in Game 5 of the World Series. Lidge was 41-for-41 in save situations during the regular season, then 7-for-7 in the postseason. With the tying run on second base, Lidge struck out pinch-hitter Eric Hinske to begin the Phillies' celebration. Lidge has been successful in his past 51 save situations - dating to last season, when he was with the Houston Astros.

Key Decision

In the seventh inning, Jason Bartlett ran the Rays right out of the potential lead run. After tying it 3-3 on Rocco Baldelli's one-out solo homer, Bartlett followed with a single. He was bunted to second by pitcher J.P. Howell (the Rays disdained a pinch hitter). Then Akinori Iwamura shot a roller up the middle - an infield single that was reached by second baseman Chase Utley. But Bartlett, inexplicably, kept chugging around third. Utley set his feet and delivered a perfect strike to catcher Carlos Ruiz, who easily tagged out Bartlett. The inning was over. Tampa Bay's next batter would have been Carl Crawford.

Play Of The Game

Dioner Navarro broke his bat to collect a one-out single off Lidge in the ninth inning. Then pinch-runner Fernando Perez stole second. A hit almost anywhere, and Perez would fly home with the tying run. Left-handed pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist, batting for Rocco Baldelli, scorched a Lidge slider on a line toward right field - exactly to where Jayson Werth was playing. Bad luck (or good advance scouting).

Quirky Play

When Game 5 resumed, Phillies pinch-hitter Geoff Jenkins immediately doubled off Rays reliever Grant Balfour. Jenkins went to third on Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice bunt. Balfour got Werth on a pop-up behind the infield. But Iwamura, playing shallow to potentially cut down Jenkins at the plate, whirled and tried an over-the-shoulder catch. It slipped through Iwamura's arms and fell in for an RBI single.

Critical Moment

With the Rays trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Crawford belted a leadoff single against J.C. Romero. The 3-4-5 batters were next. And there was Crawford's base-stealing potential. But all the possibilities were erased when B.J. Upton swung at Romero's first pitch and grounded into a double play.

Crunching The Numbers

Will there ever be another seven-game World Series? We have hit an era with a serious lack of drama. For the second time in Fall Classic history (the first since 1913-18), it's six straight seasons without a seven-game World Series. Marlins-Yankees went six games in 2003. But since then, there were three sweeps (Red Sox-Cardinals in 2004, White Sox-Astros in 2005 and Red Sox-Rockies in 2007) and two that went five games (Cardinals-Tigers in 2006 and Phillies-Rays in 2008).

Our Take

No game tonight? It's almost hard to believe. The Rays have been playing incredibly urgent games for two months now (maybe longer). And what a ride it has been. The way it ended, of course, represents a massive letdown. What, no miracle comeback? Not this time. But the Rays' late-season charge and postseason run made for one of the most special experiences in Tampa Bay's sporting history. The local baseball scene may never be the same.

Joey Johnston

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