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ATLANTA(AP)
Brad Lidge
is still confident in his abilities, even as he continues to accumulate blown saves.
Lidge committed two errors on one play to help set up
Omar Infante
's game-ending single and the
Atlanta Braves
rallied to beat the
Philadelphia Phillies
4-3 on Saturday.
Lidge (0-5) picked up his eighth blown save and second in five days, aiding Atlanta's rally by botching
Matt Diaz
's sacrifice after
Garret Anderson
's leadoff single. Lidge juggled Diaz's bunt before making a wild throw to first that bounced into foul territory in right
field, allowing Anderson to score the tying run as Diaz advanced to third.
''I got to the ball and I was thinking about maybe throwing it to second base,'' the closer said. ''I just bobbled it. Then
the play was at first and I just threw it away.''
Lidge then issued an intentional walk to
Adam LaRoche
and walked pinch-hitter
Greg Norton
to load the bases with no outs.
Ryan Church
struck out before Infante's single to left.
Lidge converted all 41 of his save opportunities last season and went 7 for 7 in the postseason to help Philadelphia win the
World Series. He said all the breaks that fell his way last year are now falling for the other team.
''Right now my stuff is as good as it's been in two years,'' Lidge said. ''I'm trying to go after guys. That ball (Infante)
hit, he didn't hit it good but it found a hole. It's been happening. That's just the way it's been going.''
Lidge, who has a 7.27 ERA, acknowledged he couldn't blame the loss only on bad breaks.
''I'm mad at myself for throwing the ball away,'' he said. ''I hurried the throw. You make your own luck in this game. I don't
believe in bad luck.''
Phillies manager
Charlie Manuel
called Lidge ''our closer'' and said ''we've got confidence in him.''
''At the same time, we definitely want to win our games, of course,'' Manuel said.
When Diaz saw the throw from Lidge bounce past
Ryan Howard
at first base, he said his first thought was ''Don't pass out and remember to breathe.''
''I saw the ball get past Ryan and I looked and it checked up against the wall, so I knew I'd be going to third or trying
for third,'' Diaz said.
Diaz scored easily when Infante's single bounced into left field.
''It just goes to show you what happens when you put some pressure on a defense and a pitcher,'' Atlanta slugger
Chipper Jones
. ''They're the World Series champs. That's a very good, fundamentally sound ballclub with speed, power and pitching. You
have got to play good in order to beat them. They don't give you games. So we feel fortunate about this one.''
Jones went 2 for 3 with a walk and
Brian McCann
hit a two-run homer in the third for Atlanta.
Peter Moylan
(5-2) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
Cole Hamels
worked six innings for Philadelphia, allowing three hits with four walks and two strikeouts. He did not allow a hit in his
final three innings.
Jayson Werth
gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the seventh with his 24th homer, matching his career high.
Six of the Phillies' seven hits off
Kenshin Kawakami
were for extra bases. Kawakami gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings.
The Phillies scored in the fourth and fifth to tie it at 2.
Shane Victorino
tripled and scored on Howard's grounder to second baseman
Martin Prado
, who threw out Howard from shallow right field.
Raul Ibanez
led off the fifth with a double to right and scored on a triple to left-center by
Pedro Feliz
.
Victorino caught two deep fly balls with his back against the center-field wall - by
Yunel Escobar
following McCann's homer in the third and by Jones in the fifth.
The Phillies stranded a runner on third in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings.
NOTES: Braves CF
Nate McLouth
(left hamstring) and Prado (heat) left the game early. Manager
Bobby Cox
said Prado just needed to drink more water instead of energy drinks and McLouth needs a couple days off. ... Braves closer
Rafael Soriano
, who gave up Howard's go-ahead homer in the ninth inning Friday night, was unavailable due to soreness behind his right shoulder.
... Phillies RHP
Brett Myers
was scratched from his scheduled rehab appearance with Class A Clearwater due to swelling around his eye. He said he fell
while getting out of his truck on Friday night. He initially told general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. he suffered the injury while
playing catch with his 4-year-old son.
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