They have a vaunted lineup, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, a resurgent lefty riding shotgun in Cole Hamels and a 47-year-old in Jamie Moyer capable of throwing a two-hit shutout.  Per usual, the only smudge on the baseball Mona Lisa that is the Philadelphia Phillies has been an iffy bullpen.  Perhaps even that's ready to turn in their favor.  Brad Lidge, coming off elbow surgery that followed a preposterously awful season, cashed in his first save chance of the season this afternoon when he set down the Atlanta Braves in order. That capped a 5-3 Phillies victory that ensured a series victory over the Braves and that Philly would hang on to its first-place standing entering the new week.  Lidge's clean inning -- OK, he sweated out a pair of heart-stopping, wind-whipped fly balls off the bats of Eric Hinske and Omar Infante -- couldn't have come at a better time. Set-up man/occasional closer Ryan Madson is out for two months with a broken toe suffered in a temper tantrum; Lidge was activated last week.  Sunday, it was Hamels' win that Lidge preserved.  The lefty, skewered on Broad Street after a 2009 season of regression and some ill-timed comments during the World Series, was merely serviceable today, gutting out five innings. But he improved to 3-2, and teamed up with Lidge for a win and save for the first time since Sept. 17, 2009. Hamels and Lidge combined for a win and a save just four times last year.  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
At long last, Phillies' Brad Lidge nails down his first save of season - Daily Pitch: MLB News, Standings, Schedules & More - USATODAY.com