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.

The Phillies dropped their second in a row to the Cubs Friday, 4-3, thanks to Madson. The reliever the Phils were ecstatic to get back from the DL — you know, the guy who got hurt kicking a metal chair after a piss poor outing — gave up a homer to Aramis Ramirez in the eighth inning.

Ryan Madson might want to consider switching careers because he's lost GQ points on the mound.

The Phils had played tough thanks to the bat of Ryan Howard, who continued to surge with his third dinger in two days. Shane Victorino also went yard to round out the Phils scoring.

Marlon Byrd hit a two-run shot in the sixth, followed by Ramirez’s solo blast in the eighth to give the Cubbies the win.

Joe Blanton pitched OK. Yes, three runs in seven innings is a nice line. However, the man also walked the pitcher with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. That’s not a run you can give up on the road.

Still, the Phils had a chance to grab a win, but Madson put a quick end to that.

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.

On the day Ryan Madson blows yet another save opportunity, his mentor is reportedly ready to rejoin the team this weekend in a crucial series against the first place New York Metropolitans (and, yes, I almost fell out of my chair upon typing that).

Brad Lidge, who has spent the season on the DL as he rehabs from offseason surgery, has completed his minor league extended spring training session and will be available to pitch when the Phis battle the Mets at Citizens Bank Park starting Friday.

BULLPEN HELP? Brad Lidge returns to the Phillies this weekend.

You’ll have to excuse me for not being very excited at this news. A year after a perfect season, Lidge turned the “blown save” into an art form, passing his knowledge and expertise onto Madson.

Until Lidge shows he is completely healthy, and we won’t believe it until we see it despite reports of a 90-mile-an-hour fastball, no Phillie fan will feel safe with a lead in the ninth inning.

Something tells us the prospects we got for Cliff Lee will be turned into an effective, championship-caliber closer at the trade deadline. Lidge will likely be an effective left-handed setup man to pair with J.C. Romero, assuming he returns.

Until any of that falls into place, the Phils bullpen is a disaster. Just look at the ninth inning of today’s game against the Giants for proof.

On Sunday, the Phillies proved they can win close pitchers-duels by outlasting the Astros, 2-1, behind the arm of ace Roy Halladay.

The Phils, a team known for getting off to slow starts, have jumped out to a 5-1 start behind the scorching lineup featuring Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utely, Ryan Howard and Placido Polanco.

Roy Halladay is a beast on the mound and will help Phils bullpen.

However, short of Jimmy Rollins, the lineup was silent Sunday and starting pitching won this game as Halladay tossed a complete game, saving us from the fear of Ryan Madson blowing saves like he did when filling in for Brad Lidge in 2009.

Halladay is showing signs of being the Phils first true stud ace since the team stupidly traded Curt Schilling for scraps in 2000.

Granted, Doc has started the season 2-0 with a .56 ERA, 17 strikeouts and two walks in 16 innings, but that isn’t what really makes him impressive and important to the Phils 2010 championship hopes.

The stat that amazes us is the fact that he racked up his 150th win on Sunday, and his 50th career complete game.

Assuming that his complete games mostly come during wins, Halladay tosses a complete game in 33 percent of his wins. That has to be some sort of record in the modern era.

Not only will he produce wins, but his complete games save the Phillies bullpen for days when the Jamie Moyers of the rotation take the mound. Oh, and he’ll also save us from heart attacks by keeping Madson and Lidge in the bullpen in tight games.

The usually reliable Chan Ho Park, JA Happ and Chase Utley all combined to waste an impressive performance by starter Pedro Martinez, as the Dodgers staged an eighth inning comeback to win the game, 2-1.

Martinez, who had thrown just 84 pitches in one start since Sept. 19, tossed seven strong innings in Friday’s heartbreaking loss. He allowed just two hits and struck out three before leaving with a 1-0 lead.

The 37-year-old matched Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla pitch-for-pitch. Padilla went 7.1 innings, surrendering four hits and striking out six batters. Padilla’s only mistake was sent over the outfield wall by Ryan Howard.

Then, Chan Ho park entered the game for Pedro in the eighth. Fresh off of a hamstring injury, Park did not look nearly as effective as he did in Thursday’s game, although the loss was far from his fault alone.

Chase Utley threw the ball away for the second time in as many days as the Phillies fell to the Dodgers, 2-1, on Friday.

Pedro Feliz, who is usually a vacuum at third base, botched a ground ball to start the inning. Ronnie Belliard then bunted, but neither Park nor Howard could field it, leaving runners on first and second with no outs.

Russell Martin then grounded to Feliz, who threw to Utely for a force at second. Utley then airmailed a ball past Ryan Howard, allowing Juan Pierre to tie game at 1. Jim Thome then singled off of Scott Eyre, moving Martin to third. Ryan Madson later struck out Matt Kemp with bases loaded.

Then, JA Happ entered the game and walked Andre Ethier with the bases loaded to force in Martin with the winning run.

Happ and Park have been two of the most consistent pitchers all year. Utley had just four throwing errors all season. They all came up small on Friday.

For Utley, the error marked his second in as many days, and that play likely cost the Phils the game. Park was responsible for both runners and ended up taking the loss.

In all, Uncle Charlie had to use five pitchers in the eighth inning with neither Scott Eyre nor Happ recording an out, as each faced just one batter.

Instead of coming back to Philly with a 2-0 series lead, the teams are now knotted at one game each.

Cliff Lee will look to continue his impressive postseason when the teams play again in Game 3 on Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park.

A day later, Manuel failed to give Lidge a vote of confidence when given the chance.

Ryan Madson is not the answer to the Phillies closer situation.

Before everyone jumps on the “Madson is the Saviour” bandwagon, keep in mind that he has half as many blown saves as Lidge this year in many fewer opportunities. Madson has five blown saves in 10 opportunities. Sure, not all of them came in the ninth inning, but the fact is Madson can’t be trusted either.

Madson is the 8th inning guy. That’s where he has made his mark the last two years and where his confidence level is unmatched.

The closer has to be Brett Myers going forward. He has filled the role well before and has the mentality and stuff to secure wins for the Fightins. The Phillies are doing the right thing by bringing Myers along slowly as he returns from injury. However, eventually his 7th and 8th inning performances will be moved to the 9th inning.

Lidge? Hell no! Madson? Not now. Myers? You gotta believe!