The Phillies closer made his debut in a game as a starter.

Pitching in an intra-squad, minor-league game at the Carpenter Complex, Brad Lidge threw 1+ innings, facing five batters. He walked one, struck out three and got a foul out.

The ball never left the infield.

The only baserunner Lidge allowed was Jayson Werth, who walked on five pitches. But Lidge responded with the runner on base by striking out the next two batters, displaying a crisp fastball and a sharp curve.

"I felt great, everything from warming up to throwing in the game - I mean there's nothing better than facing hitters," said Lidge, who threw 12 of his 19 pitches for strikes. "That was a lot of fun; I was really glad to get out there and feel good."

Lidge's next step could be pitching in his first major league, Grapefruit League game this weekend. The hard-throwing right-hander said he wasn't sure where he'd pitch next, but Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee will likely tell us after the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates today.




(Eventually, a photographer from one of the wire services will show up and shoot a photo of Lidge pitching. I vowed not to use a pitcher of Lidge in a Houston uniform for the 33rd time this spring)


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The Archive Files

I spoke to Wes Helms yesterday, thinking he must be wondering when the heck he'll be traded. But as it turns out, Helms isn't sweating his future although the Phillies still explore options to trade him on a regular basis.