Davey Johnson re-iterates confidence in co-closer Brad Lidge - MLB Update
A long winning streak can easily get a team to forget the areas of their potential weaknesses. Playing at the back of a strong rotation as that of the Washington Nationals, Brad Lidge has been a lone poor performer so far in their pitching department.
Against all the odds, manager Davey Johnson however is resilient in the support and will be using him in the same way in the games to come as he commented.
In home opener, Lidge blew the lead when he was sent to carry the winning momentum forward.
Similarly against the Miami Marlins, the hitters to whom Nationals’ starter never allowed to complete any run until the eighth were able to add two runs by the time he held the mound in the ninth inning.
The fact Drew Storen is not available to the manager; one can understand why he is clinging to him even when his performance suggests a reverse treatment.
It is easy to avoid due criticism when the side leads the table in the Division. However there is every possibility that with a couple of losses, the Nationals can easily be under the fans anger and by then it will be difficult to find the reasons behind
the failure.
For Lidge, an inability to throw the sliders right is the reason why he is being taken on cheaply in the ninth. Once he works it out and starts getting it the way he has been in the past, he can be right on top of his mark.
“Honestly, right now I’m not throwing well out there,” Lidge said. “My location’s bad. I’m able to get ahead of guys sometimes, but I’m not able to put them away with the slider I’ve been able to in the past. That was the case with Hanley. With Logan, to
be honest, we threw a fastball and it was supposed to be in and he got on it.”
Nationals are at the moment looking all set to fetch a spot in the play-offs, especially considering the way other teams in the Division are performing.
The sooner Lidge stops the decline the better it will be for him, as survival in a competitive side like Nationals will not be possible otherwise.
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