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Give up game killing homeruns to Albert Pujols? Understandable.

Give up game killing homeruns to Xavier Nady? Less so.

Most interesting thing about Brad Lidge’s opening day meltdown? Hearing how immediately angry Astros fans are with him. The boos were loud and long as Nady circled the bases to tie the game with two outs in the ninth inning. That situation is about one step from being in Lidge’s head. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle has seen enough:

“In an indication that his once-unhittable stuff isn’t fooling anyone, Lidge threw 26 pitches in the ninth inning. The Pirates swung and missed just five times. He did get through the ninth, but Chad Qualls finished things in the 10th by allowing Jason Bay’s two-run homer. And the two relievers who blew so many games last season have picked up where they left off. Garner said later that closers, even great closers, go through bad stretches. He’s right. Billy Wagner and Mariano Rivera and others had bad months last season. Lidge is different because it’s not one bad month. He has been unreliable since Albert Pujols hammered that home run in the 2005 playoffs. The Astros are proving nothing by continuing to run him out there in clutch situations. He was unreliable much of last season and unreliable in spring training. Enough is enough.”

Fantasy owners in the Dan Wheeler business sat up a little last night as Nady’s ball was leaving the yard. At some point this season, I suspect, push will come to shove, even with Phil Garner.

By the way, while thinking on Phil Garner, as a Reds fan, I wholeheartedly endorse his batting of Adam Everett second. Putting an out machine ahead of Lance Berkman? Freakin’ genius move right there. Second only, the last 48 hours, to drunken alleged genius Tony LaRussa batting Yadier Molina 5th in St. Louis Sunday night. THOSE are the kinds of moves by rival managers that put a hop in one’s step.