Pro athletes aren’t immune to it, especially closers in baseball. Rarely does anyone go 48-for-48 in save opportunities in a season. Brad Lidge did it once in a fairly remarkable career as a closer.

This is noteworthy simply becase Ryan Madson was crucified by some on Twitter during and after the dreary Friday night debacle in DC. Quick version: Phillies held a 4-2 lead entering the ninth. Madson entered and surrendered the game on a walk-off grand slam by Ryan Zimmerman. Phils lose.

Despite Friday's blown save, Ryan Madson has transformed himself into a legit closer.

Granted, as this was unfolding, you had to wonder why Charlie Manuel wasn’t taking Madson out on a night in which he clearly didn’t have it. And, the natural reaction was to recall the Madson that could never be a consistent closer when given the chance earlier in his career.

But, this isn’t the same Madson. And, Manuel needed to let the kid face adversity and try to overcome it in a meaningless game.

First, look at Madson. I’m not going to tell you he’s been completely Lights Out every single night. A 2.06 ERA would suggest otherwise. But, he has gotten the job done. The guy had blown just one save in 24 chances entering Friday.

That is not the Madson of old. This is not the same Madson who broke his foot kicking a metal chair in Brett Myers fashion after blowing a save last season. This isn’t the guy who had 20 saves and 24 blown saves at the start of this season.

To be sure, Ryan Madson has turned the corner from lethal set-up guy to the man you want in the ballgame in the ninth inning of a close game. Is he an elite closer worth the money Scott Boras will want to resign his client this winter? That’s another argument for another day.

But, Ryan Madson is your closer, Philadelphia. He is the guy who will be coming into the game during our fifth straight October playoff run. You need to forget the past and focus on the present. This year, he has proven he can get the job done.

As far as taking Madson out last night, that wouldn’t have been the best thing. Yes, it hurts losing a game in which you invested an entire Friday night thanks to a rain delay in excess of two hours. But, this wasn’t about Friday. This was about the playoff push.

Manuel needs to let Madson figure out how to get out of these situations when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Is there a better time than when you hold an 8.5-game lead on August 19? Is there a better time to do so than on a night in which your fourth ace didn’t record a pitch thanks to a rain delay and you had to go to the pen after six? Is there a better place to do this than on the road in DC?

Say what you want, but Manuel did the right thing for the long term. And, Madson is your closer.

This isn’t the same Ryan Madson. This guy can get the job done. One bad night at the office doesn’t make you horrible at your job.

When we put away the holiday lights and decorations, we said goodbye to Cliffmas and hello to reality. The question that reality has raised this spring is this: Did we piss off the baseball Gods? Did we violate the deadly sin of greed by stockpiling aces?

Having two Cy Young pitchers and a likely third when all is said and done in Cole Hamels is the thing of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz past. With a rotation like that, the Braves should have hosted multlple parades. Pat Burrell has more rings than the Braves.

Did we piss off the Baseball Gods by signing Cliff Lee?

Is "greed" a deadly sin on the diamond?

Did the baseball Gods punish the Braves for stockpiling aces and all-stars? Did they do the same to the Yankees and Red Sox once they started spending money like Daddy Warbucks? Sure, the teams have won titles, but with all they talent they’ve bought you’d think they’d have more.

Now, it’s fair to wonder if our greed has in fact cursed us. Domonic Brown, Placido Polanco, Brad Lidge and Chase Utley have already been injured. Only Polanco will open the season no on the DL.

Take Brown out of the equation since he wasn’t exactly tearing up spring pitching and you’ve lost your closer and second baseman — two keys to the consecutive World Series trips in 2008 and 2009. Polanco missed time last year with elbow issues and appears set to do the same this year.

Sure, the Phils overcame injuries last year en route to winning 97 games. This is different. We’re not even out of Spring Training and worried about injuries to stars. A bullpen that was already questionable becomes that much more vulnerable now that Jose Conterars or Ryan Madson move to the end of the pen. And, taking Utley out of the lineup hurts Ryan Howard.

Do the Baseball Gods have it in for us? Time will tell. Let’s just say this isn’t the start anyone envisioned the night we read the tweets that Lee was coming home.

Lights Out Lidge was back. or, so we were beginning to think. Then, the man reverted to his 2009 form last night with a mental hiccup. If he’s smart, he picked up JRoll’s bar tab last night.

The Phillies, battling for their playoff lives, had a paltry 2-1 lead heading into the ninth inning. Roy Oswalt was cruising, having retired thirteen straight batters. He also had thrown 102 pitches, 78 for strikes. The man not named Cliff Lee was rolling.

Then, Charlie Manuel decided to pinch hit for him and go with Lidge. You can second guess Manuel all you want, the bottom line is Lidge’s slider appeared to be back and he is the closer. His job is to save one-run leads, even against the best team in the NL on the road.

Lidge then loaded the bases and committed a baseball sin. He balked in the tying run. Not walked. Balked.

Brad Lidge is a little miffed at himself for allowing a game-tying balk.

“It’s a bizarre thing,” Lidge told MLB.com. “The ball hit my glove as I was taking it to my glove to get my grip. It started coming out and I had to look down to get the grip otherwise the ball probably would have fallen out of my glove. By that time my momentum was taking me forward, so basically I had to step off or I would have fallen on my face.”

You know what, dude, fall on your face. Faceplant like a drunken college kid. Get laughed at but don’t balk in the tying run.

The Phillies finally pulled the game out in the 12th thanks to this play:

Words truly can’t describe the slide that Rollins made to avoid the tag and then drop down to slap the plate and give the Phillies the lead that Chad Durbin was able to hold onto.

Lidge might want to buy JRoll a watch for that.

In any event, the win gives the Phils the lead in the Wild Card race and pulls them to within two games of the faltering Braves.

Lidge, who blew a save on Saturday, has never regained his 2008 form. Inconsistency has been his calling card the last year and change.

Of course, Romero gave up a hit and walked a batter, prompting Lidge to be called in for the save with two on and one out.

Lidge came in and showed signs that his slider has some bite to it, which would obviously help him regain his status as the closer for the Fightins. He battled to strike out Austin Kearns with a nasty slider, and then did the same to Jhonny Peralta. He also hit 92 and 93 on the radar gun with his fastball. Both are good signs going forward.

While Lidge ended up earning his fifth save in six opportunities, the fact remains that he didn’t get the call to start the inning.

Yes, you could make the argument that the Phils had planned to call in Lidge when they go to a righthanded batter all along. But, if Lidge is your stone cold closer, doesn’t he come in to start the game with the Phils clinging to a one-run lead?

Brad Lidge is far from the guaranteed, stone cold closer for the Phillies these days.

The Phillies will likely not say anything negative, and Chris Wheeler launched the PR campaign to save Lidge’s image during the broadcast.

“They’re starting a string of 20 straight until the All-Star break and likely just want an extra arm in the bullpen,” Wheels said.

OK, thanks, buddy. Wouldn’t Romero be an extra arm in the pen? Didn’t Lidge just have two days off? Again, your closer should be the man brought out with a one-run lead no matter what. Lidge didn’t start the ninth. Enough said.

Yeah, we’re not buying Wheels’ remarks, either.

For his part, Charlie Manuel was very short in cutting off Howard Eskin when questioned about Lidge’s role.

“He’s our closer in my mind and that’s all that matters,” he said.

He looked overly defensive of Lidge and we don’t believe him at this point. Actions speak louder than words. If he’s your closer, put him in to start the ninth.

If there were a red panic button in the Phillies dugout, manager Charlie Manuel may have smacked the crap out of it last night. How else do you explain benching your one, three and four hitters in the fourth inning of a game? How else do you explain sitting three all-stars?

Granted, the 12-0 score probably had a lot to do with it. However, benching three guys gives the appearance of trying to send a message. Last week, the last skipper to win a championship in this city was critical of his players’ nanchalant attitudes before a game; they were watching a movie in the clubhouse.

Manuel has always been seen as a players manager who will do what it takes to protect his guys. He’s clearly not doing that now. Not with benching Jayson Werth the last couple weeks; not with saying Werth may be affected by his pending free agent status; not by calling out players preparation; not by pulling a third of your lineup in Boston.

The question now becomes, should the Phillies fans join Manuel and hit the red button?

To be clear, the last three weeks have flat out sucked in the Land of Red Pinstripes. A team built to outscore teams has managed to cross home plate just 41 times in its last 18 games, a paltry 2.3 runs-per-game average. They’ve failed to score more than three runs in 15 of those games, and been shut out six times.

That just isn’t going to get the job done. Some say the Werths of the lineup are pressing and trying too hard. Well, they’ve done that when most of the media attention has been on the Flyers run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now that Michael Leighton has found the puck in the net behind him, the Phillies are really going to be under the microscope. Oh, and the fact that they sit in third place behind the Braves and the friggin’ Mets won’t help matters.

To panic or not to panic? That is the question.

REASONS TO PANIC

Jimmy Rollins: The shortstop’s .341 average and other offensive numbers aren’t the problem. Neither is his defense. The issue here is his calf. He’s played a total of 11 games this year and is trying to wrap up his second stint on the DL. He is the Phillies motor; as he goes, the Phils go. It’s not a coincidence that the Phillies offensive ineptness started the night after Rollins reaggravated his calf injury. The team averages nearly three runs a game less without their sparkplug. If Rollins can’t get that injury completely healed, this offense will continue to suffer.

Chase Utely is not the .260 hitter he's shown this year. Could an injury be to blame?

Chase Utley: I’m likely going to be dodging rocks from the women who see me in the streets after putting Utley in this category. His work ethic and baseball prowess aren’t being questioned. Like Rollins, his health is something to look at. A .260 average this season? That’s not Utley. We all know it. An injury can be the only explanation for his struggles at the plate. Just remember, in 2008 Utley started red hot and tailed off big time. The Phils did not win a World Series due to their offense that year. After the parade down Broad, we learned Utley needed hip surgery. To be clear, an injured Utley is better than anything else the Phils could put out there, but don’t be surprised to learn of an injury at some point.

Shane Victorino: The Flyin’ Hawaiian has ten homers and 36 RBI so far this year. He also has 32 strikeouts. OK, so why does a guy who is tied for the team lead in HRs with Ryan Howard, Werth and Utley in this category? Power numbers aren’t his game. He has already matched his HR total from last year, and is just four away from his career high of 14 in 2008. He is already more than halfway to his career high of 62 RBI from last year. Meanwhile, since becoming an everyday player in 2006, Victorino has not hit below .281 for a season. He hit better than .290 the last two years. Right now he’s hitting .263. The man needs to get back to slapping singles and doubles in the gaps.

Rauuuul Ibanez: Was Ibanez as good as his torrid start to the 2009 season? No. However, a .242 average with three long balls? That doesn’t come close to cutting it. If the $12-million man doesn’t get his bat going, he needs to sit the bench and John Mayberry needs to be given a chance to platoon with him. Every year, Ibanez seems to have a 55-game tear. So, while we can’t give up hope on him just yet, the fact that he is hitting this bad is a cause for concern.

Rauuuul Ibanez better get that .243 average up and soon. The Phils need to hope he has another 55-game tear in him.

Joe Blanton: A 1-4 record with a 6.07 ERA from a guy who was to be your solid No. 3 starter has to make you lose sleep at night. I’m sure the fact that some people will always say, “there’s Cliff Lee’s money,” whether or not it’s accurate, has to be weighing on the organization, if not Blanton himself. The fact is, this man is an innings eater who pitched well the last two years. If he can’t get himself straight, and soon, the Phils rotation is taking a huge hit and Pedro Martinez may yet find himself back in The City of Brotherly Love.

Danys Baez: A 4.50 ERA and a 13-12 walk-to-strikeout ratio doesn’t cut it for a guy thought to be a solid addition to your suspect bullpen. He just seems to give up the wrong hit at the wrong time. Can’t have that.

The Phillies bench: Wilson Valdez has been OK filling in for Juan castro and Jimmy Rollins. But Ross Gload and Greg Dobbs aren’t getting the job done. The Phils need to call up a John Mayberry or make a trade to address the bench play.

REASONS NOT TO PANIC

Roy Halladay

Ryan Howard: Granted, 10 homers for the $25 million man at this point in the season may cause you to want to worry. Don’t. He is hitting .291, the highest of his career since his 2006 MVP year. As far as his power numbers, this guy usually doesn’t heat up until the summer temperatures do. At the end of the day, he’ll still have 40 HRs and be a part of the MVP talk. Don’t worry about the big man.

Placido Polanco: The professional hitter continues to impress at the plate. The Phillies, for the most part, have been better at the plate since Polanco himself returned from a DL stint. He’ll hit better than .300, hit some long balls and score runs. Combine him with Rollins at the top of the order and you could see the Phils lineup explode again real soon.

Jayson Werth He is mired in a terrible slump. He will break out of it and soon. He’s not a 40 HR guy, nor is he a .355 hitter. Finishing the season with a .280 average and 25-30 HRs is the player Werth is. He’ll bounce back and end the season with those numbers and help force pitchers to throw hittable balls to Howard. The Phillies will still need to PayDaMan at season’s end.

Jayson Werth will be taking more curtain calls before the end of the year. The Phils will still need to PayDaMan.

Starting Rotation: Halladay is Halladay. Cole Hamles has bounced back quietly, not allowing a big-run performance in about seven games. JA Happ will be fresh when he returns from the DL and be fresh down the stretch. For playoff purposes, you just need Blanton, Jamie Moyer or Kyle Kendrick to step up their game as the fourth guy. The thought here is that the combination of Moyer and Kendrick gets the job done.

Jose Contreras and Brad Lidge: Contreras is a very flexible pitcher who can toss the eighth inning or throw a couple innings of long relief. Lidge, if he continues to pitch the way he has, could very well be back to his 2008 form. He just needs to stay healthy.

Charlie Manuel: The skipper has a way of getting the most from his players. He will get this thing turned around. remember, in 2008 he kicked the crap out of a water cooler, sparking the Phillies to reel off a nice win streak. They ended that season on Broad Street. Forget the appearance that he may be alienating players with his public comments. If he’s doing that, it means he’s tried everything else and the players know that.

THE BOTTOM LINE

To panic or not to panic? Just remember, “the play’s the thing.”

How this team plays on the field between now and the All-Star break ultimately will tell us whether or not to reach for the red button. As it stands, if Rollins comes back healthy this lineup will score runs. And, with the way the pitchers have performed recently, that’s all it’ll take to surpass the Mets and Braves in the NL East.

Remember, this team was the best in the NL as recently as two weeks ago. You don’t go from being that good to this bad overnight. They will turn it around as the sweltering summer nights infiltrate South Philly.

For now, sit back in the recliner and reach for the Coronas instead of the red panic button.

However, nobody should feel remotely comfortable if he is the closer for the rest of the year should Brad Lidge not recover from elbow inflammation that resulted in him rejoining the DL. Closing takes a special mindset, and Contreras has yet to display the ‘it’ factor. He walked the first batter he faced yesterday.

Jose Contreras appears to be the Phillies closer until further notice. Is he a long-term solution?

Sure, Contreras has a .68 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 appearances this year. Sure, he has taken the role vacated by Chan Ho Park and run with it so to speak. However, that is precisely the problem we should all have with Contreras being viewed as a closer right now.

If Contreras is the the guy you bring in to shut down the ninth inning, you become even thinner in the middle innings. Who takes Contreras’ role? Who eats up those innings?

The Phillies bullpen is held together by black electrical tape these days. The team must address this and get a legit, experienced closer before it’s too late.

Brad Lidge. JC Romero. Ryan Madson. JA Happ.

The list of injured pitchers goes on and on, and it is killing the Phillies bullpen.

Ruben Amaro, as much as we love your move to bring in Doc Halladay and sign Ryan Howard to the second-richest deal in baseball, the fact that you have ignored the bullpen issues has not gone unnoticed. And, now, it’s time to address it before the season gets away from the two-time defending National League champs.

If Brad Lidge returning to Philly for an MRI isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.

The Phillies need to make a move to add bodies in the bullpen today.

Yes, the team has $9 million invested in Lidge this year, but at this point, you can’t wait for him anymore. Not when he started the year on the DL. Not when he missed a lot of time last year. Not when he had a 7-plus ERA last year. And, certainly not when he is getting an MRI less than two weeks after making his 2010 debut.

Oh, and the man who held down the fort — Ryan Madson — is out for another month with a broken toe suffered from kicking a metal chair due to a poor outing that ballooned his ERA this year to a Lidge-like 7.00.

If the Phillies don’t make a move now to secure a stud closer, they could be in even deeper dire straights.

Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin and others will likely get the call in the ninth inning. This depletes the set-up guys and long relievers even more. That’s not something the Phillies are equipped to handle. Especially when Romero is still finding his way back, and Kyle Kendrick is part of the starting rotation until Happ returns.

Kendrick could be a lights out reliever as he was last year. In essence, he could be this year’s Chan Ho Park.

For now, the Phillies are short in the bullpen.

The good news it happened early enough for the Phillies to use the trading chips they got for Cliff Lee to address the problem.

The bad news is the Phillies put themselves in this position by counting on too many guys to return from injuries and find their 2008 career year performances. Anyone could see the need to get a guy capable of closing last winter.

Now, Amaro has to make a move. And he has to do it yesterday before the top closers move to other homes.

Lidge, who has been unavailable since Sunday due to soreness in his elbow — the same one surgically repaired last year – is back in Philly for an MRI. That can’t be good.

Brad Lidge screams in pain due to discomfort in his elbow.

At 33 years old, injury news surrounding Lidge can not be comforting for GM Ruben Amaro and the Phillies. With Ryan Madson already out due to stupidity that results in kicking a metal chair and breaking your toe, the Phillies are at the point of overextending their bullpen. Moving guys like Jose Contreras to the ninth inning depletes the long relievers and set up guys that much more.

Clearly, a move must be made by Amaro.

Brad Lidge lasted an entire 11 pitches. He tossed .1 innings, surrendering two hits, including a home run to catcher Rod Barajas, his second of the night.

Lights On Lidge enetered the game in the ninth with the Phillies trailing the Mets, 8-1. He left with a 9-1 deficit, and was replaced by JC Romero.

The game was Lidge’s first since returning from the DL yesterday. Ironically, he takes over for Ryan Madson, who was placed on the DL Friday with a broken toe thanks to his David Akers impression on a water cooler.

Madson had a nice puffy 7 ERA, identical to Lidge’s from a year ago. Lidge picked right up where he and Madson left off, now boasting a 27 ERA.

OK, we know it’s his first game in a non-save situation. We know the season is still far from over.

We also know the Phillies will not advance very far without a legit big league closer. The team pinned their hopes on Lidge by opting not to pursue a closer in the offseason.

Ruben Amaro may have more explaining to do over the closer situation than he’s had to do over some guy named Lee.

Welcome your new DL buddy, Ryan Madson.

Madson was placed on the 15-day DL with a broken toe today thanks to the immaturity that resulted in kicking a water cooler after a poor performance in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Anyone else feel like the injury curse that the Mets faced last season is making its way to South Philly this year?

Ryan Madson displays what you do with water when not breaking your toe kicking a water cooler.

Luckily, Madson lasted until the Phillies were able to activate Brad Lidge from the DL. Lights Out Lidge should have no trouble stepping in for Madson, who posted a 7.00 ERA during the first month of the season. In fact, that was Lidge’s ERA last year. At least Madson was able to hold the fort down without Lidge.

The Phillies recalled reliever Antonio Bastardo, who was ironically sent down a day earlier to make room for Lidge. Hopefully, Bastardo never actually unpacked his bags in Allentown.