Lidge is lights out in opener

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The fortunes of the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series have been dependent on their closers. For better and worse.

The enduring memory of the only World Series title in the team's 125-year history is closer Tug McGraw flinging his glove high into the air after striking out Kansas City's Willie Wilson with the bases loaded to end the 1980 Series. And there is no darker Series moment in the Phillies' annals than Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams serving up a walk-off home run to Toronto's Joe Carter in the deciding game of the 1993 World Series.

McGraw, the father of country star Tim McGraw, died four years ago of inoperable brain cancer and remains a beloved figure in Philadelphia. Williams received death threats in the aftermath of Carter's heartbreaker but long since has been forgiven by Phillies fans, who have accepted him as one of the team's broadcasters and cheered him when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a playoff game two weeks ago.

Now Philadelphia has placed its fate in the hands of Brad Lidge, who is only too painfully aware of what it means to give up a game-deciding home run in October but has been simply perfect for the Phillies. The Tampa Bay Rays became Lidge's latest victims when he silenced the cowbells and saved the Phillies' 3-2 win in Game 1 of the 104th World Series on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.

Facing the iron of the Rays' order, Lidge struck out sluggers Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria before inducing Carl Crawford, who had homered earlier in the game, to pop out in foul territory to end the game.

Lidge saved 41 games in 41 chances during the regular season and is six for six in the postseason, his latest effort keeping Phillies starter Cole Hamels unbeaten in the postseason and giving the Phillies a victory on a night they went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Lidge saved his last three chances last season with the Houston Astros, so he has converted his last 50 save opportunities.

"Brad is one of the greatest and toughest men I've ever been around," said Rays reliever Trever Miller, who was Lidge's teammate in Houston for two seasons starting in 2006, the year after Lidge gave up a monster home run to Albert Pujols of the Cardinals that nearly cost Houston a berth in the '05 World Series.

"I had a locker right next to him," Miller said, "and he had to answer questions every day for two years about the home run Albert Pujols hit. I was getting mad for the guy. One pitch."

Lidge, who came to the Phillies from the Astros in a trade engineered by GM Pat Gillick last November, hears an entirely different tenor of questioning now.

"For us, we had Cole Hamels on the mound and needed to win," he said. "When your ace is on the mound, you've got to win. It feels good. You want to downplay the significance of Game 1, but it was huge. They've played very well at home this year."

Hamels, who allowed two runs in the first seven innings, has recorded four of the Phillies' eight wins this October. Given a 2-0 first-inning lead on a home run by Chase Utley, who went deep after fouling off a bunt attempt against the Rays' overshifted defense, Hamels was the beneficiary of a hotly disputed non-call in the sixth inning. The left-hander picked off Pena after he'd reached base on a bobble by Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

The Rays dugout instantly erupted with shouts that Hamels had balked – Tampa Bay's contention was that he already had started his pitching motion toward the plate – but the umpires did not agree.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said he would have contested the decision more vigorously with plate umpire Tim Welke, but because it is considered a judgment call, he would have faced automatic ejection for doing so.

"Timmy told me that he had stepped a bit towards first base, and my response was that may be true but he also stepped towards home plate," Maddon said. "I thought it was clearly a balk, but you get kicked out arguing a balk. Even what I did was inappropriate. I had to take a chance there because I was adamant that I thought he had balked."

Hamels, who kept the high-powered Rays off balance with his devastating changeup, offered no confessions when asked if he'd balked.

"Yeah, he was out," said Hamels, who became the fourth pitcher in postseason history to win four games in four starts, joining Boston's Josh Beckett (2007), Oakland's Dave Stewart (1989) and the New York Yankees' David Wells (1998). "That's all I can really say.

"Being able to get a guy out on a pickoff play is huge. It puts some momentum back in my shoes."

The Phillies scored what proved to be the deciding run in the fourth on two singles and an infield out by Carlos Ruiz. The Rays' bullpen, with Miller striking out Howard with runners on the corners in the ninth, did its job, but the Phillies, with their perfect closer, improved to 87-0 in games in which they've held a lead after eight innings.

In a way, Lidge is a backward reflection of McGraw. Tug was left-handed and wore No. 45. Lidge is right-handed and wears No. 54. But the results look awfully familiar.

Even a six-day layoff did not deter Lidge from keeping his appointed rounds. How long can the streak last?

"I'm not thinking about that when I go to the mound," he said. "I'm thinking about the one-run lead, the three guys I have to get out and what I have to do to get that done. So as far as that's concerned, it doesn't come into play."