Who needs a closer?

As has been one of the recurring themes of the Phillies this season, just when Brad Lidge looked like he has finally gotten into a groove as closer, he blows another game as what happened last night in Pittsburgh. As good as Lidge says he feels, the Phillies cannot continue to go forward with a closer who blows over a quarter of his games.

This brings up a larger question: is it necessary to have a special pitcher to pitch the ninth inning in a close game?

Let's take a look at the past four games (there were three save opprotunities during these four games and Lidge converted two of these opprotunities).

August 22: J.A. Happ goes 7 innings and leaves for a pinch hitter. Ryan Madson pitches the 8th inning with a 4-1 lead and records 2 strikeouts in a perfect inning throwing just 11 pitches. Lidge pitches a 1-2-3 9th innings, also recording 2 strikeouts. Although Lidge got the save here, why not let Madson come back out for the 9th since he did so well in the 8th inning? His spot in the batting order didn't come up in the top of the ninth and there was no guarantee that Lidge would be effective throwing in the bottom of the ninth.

August 23: Pedro throws 6 innings and leaves with a 8-4 lead. Durbin gives up a run in the 7th and is pinch hit for and Madson gives up a run in the 8th. Lidge enters the game with a 9-6 lead and surrenders an unearned run before having Francoeur line into the unassisted triple play to end the game. This was a good situation to use Lidge. Durbin and Madson were not effective and since it was a close game, it make sense to use your "best" reliever here.

August 24: Cliff Lee gets pinch hit for after 7 innings and Chan Ho Park throws a perfect eighth and leaves with a 5-2 lead. The Phillies score one run in the top of the ninth but Park's batting spot does not come up. Lidge pitches a 1-2-3 9th inning. I do not understand why Lidge was brought into the game here. I did not see the game but I suppose Lidge had been warming up in the top of the ninth when the Phillies still had just a three run lead and the game was still a save situation and I suppose that Manuel wanted Lidge to enter the game if he had been warming. However, why have Lidge even warm up? Lidge had already thrown in the past two games and the Phillies had a three-run lead against a bad Mets' offense that had only been able to muster two unearned runs all game (back in the first inning) and the Phillies already had a pitcher on the mound in Park who has no problems pitching for multiple innings and looked great in the 8th inning.

August 25: Joe Blanton throws six innings and then Tyler Walker relives him and throws two scoreless innings before he is pinch hit for in the top of the ninth and the Phillies rally to take a 4-3 lead on the Pirates. Brad Lidge enters the game and six pitches later the Pirates win 6-4. While this was an ideal situation to use Lidge in a "closer's role", this blowup could have occured because Lidge had thrown in the past three games. Had Lidge even thrown one of those three games, his arm may have been much sharper.

Instead of panicking over who should be the Phillies' "closer" just for the ninth inning in a close game, the Phillies should instead focus on having the best reliever (or whoever is throwing the ball well at the moment) pitch in late game, high leverage situations.