For Lidge, it's location, location, location

By Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 2, 2008 at 4:23 p.m.

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Brad Lidge faced 292 batters and allowed only two home runs in 69 1/3 innings last season and one in 35 1/3 innings at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.

He gave up a grand slam to Atlanta's Brian McCann on July 25 in Philadelphia, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead in the ninth in what became a 7-2 win.

On Aug. 3 at St. Louis, Troy Glaus led off the ninth against Lidge with a homer that cut the Phillies' lead to 5-4, their final margin of victory.

Lidge said his control was better this year with his vaunted slider because, after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Feb. 25, he concentrated on the location of that pitch as he was regaining velocity.

Previously, Lidge focused on throwing his slider as hard as he could.

"For the first time in my career, I'm throwing them in and out as I want to, getting ahead of the hitters, then throwing the hard one where I can let it rip," Lidge said. "By doing that, I eliminated a lot of the hanging sliders where you throw it too hard and it doesn't do anything.

"This year, I gave up two home runs on two fastballs. And I just felt like all year, the location on my slider was so much better and I was able to get guys out with it and use it more of like a changeup at times. I kind of varied it.

"My fastball location was there and I used my slider more because I had better control with it. So it really helped me a lot, actually, getting hurt."

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