My hiatus from the Phillies is over... as is the team's three-city, 10-game road trip.

In case you missed it, they did pretty well. 8-2.

The Phils are a major-league best 16-6 on the road.

But they're back home now. In case you missed it, Charlie Manuel was asked early on their last road trip - when we were in DC - about why the Phillies do so well away from home.

Here was his take:

"I think winning the World Series has something to do with that," Manuel said. "We do more things now, our players are involved with more things in the public, and on their own since we won a World Series. Sometimes at home we’ve got so many things to do that baseball has to be put back in the priority we’ve always had it. I know we’re going to do that.

"I think the other day, when we made our (White House) visit, we laid 2008 to rest. I definitely think we’re getting into 2009, and if we don’t, I’m going to keep harping on it."

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I was away last week for my brother's wedding. And all I heard from relatives - at the bachelor party, rehearsal dinner, reception, day-after barbecue - was, "What's wrong with Brad Lidge?"

Well I've been kind of noticing this even before the most recent road trip. Blown saves or not, he hasn't had many clean innings at all this year. He's beginning a lot of innings with walks or hits, which is like playing with fire if you're a closer.

He insists it's not a physical thing, not related to his oft-injured right knee.

So could it be mental? That might be far worse than a physical injury a guy can recover from.

Perhaps like Brett Myers a year ago, Lidge needs to get away for a while. Maybe he takes a DL trip.

With Ryan Madson pitching well and J.C. Romero coming back next week, the Phils may actually be in a good position to do without Lidge for a two-week period.

Should be interesting to see how Lidge gets out of his current funk...