Baseball

Homer isn't haunting Lidge

By MARC TOPKIN
Published October 25, 2005

HOUSTON - Any concerns that Astros closer Brad Lidge would be haunted by the Game 2-winning home run he allowed to Scott Podsednik were disposed of early Monday morning.

"I fell asleep on the plane (back to Houston)," Lidge said. "I got home and the baby woke up and I had to change some diapers. At that point, I wasn't thinking too much about the game."

Even after he got 11-month-old daughter Avery Grace cleaned up, Lidge said he wasn't too concerned about what happened. And he refused to make any suggestion there was a carryover effect from the game-deciding home run he allowed to St. Louis' Albert Pujols in his previous outing in Game 5 of the NLCS.

"Experience helps, and you learn to deal with it," Lidge said.

While Pujols hit a bad pitch, Lidge said Podsednik hit a pretty good one, which is one of the reasons he said he isn't concerned with making any changes.

"I threw a fastball and he hit a home run. Tip your cap," Lidge said. "I felt good mechanically. I felt the same as I did all year."

Though the Astros made efforts to cheer Lidge up after the Pujols homer, having the pilot of the charter flight announce that he could see the ball, the dark humor was more subtle after Sunday's game.

"(Catcher Brad ) Ausmus was calling me "Lights On Lidge,"' he said.

NO DOUBT: Chicago's Jermaine Dye said there should not be any controversy over umpire Jeff Nelson 's call that Dye was hit by Dan Wheeler 's pitch in the key seventh-inning rally Sunday preceding Paul Konerko 's grand slam.

"I knew it didn't hit me," Dye said. "But I'm not going to tell (Nelson) that I'm not going to go to first because it hit my bat."

The call was the latest in a series of controversial decisions this postseason to go Chicago's way, and the Sox are not complaining.

"It's unfortunate, but it kind of helped us," Dye said.

ROCKET REPORT: The Astros again had no specific updates on the condition of starter Roger Clemens , who was forced out of Saturday's opener after the second inning with a strained left hamstring. Manager Phil Garner did say they "have him penciled in for Game 5 right now."

NEW LOOK: With the games in Houston played under NL rules, the Sox will be at a disadvantage because DH Carl Everett won't get to start and their pitchers will have to bat. Everett is likely to be used as a pinch-hitter.

UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT: Sox manager Ozzie Guillen apologized to the Astros after an incident in the U.S. Cellular Field stands involving a male fan hitting the wife of Houston second baseman Craig Biggio .

Guillen said that the fan was "probably a stupid idiot" and that he wished that security had allowed him to handle the matter. "I told them don't put him in jail, bring him to me," Guillen said.

[Last modified October 25, 2005, 03:00:29]