Bradley C. Bower / AP

Pedro Martinez, shown in a minor league game last week, made his first start for the Phillies on Wednesday.

That’s not true, of course, and his experience with the Mets last year is proof enough of that. And his minor-league starts show that he’s not going to go deep into games anymore. He can and does run out of gas, and when that happens, it’s home run derby time.

Just the same, he’s Pedro Martinez. And the Phillies are in such a dither that they were willing to banish their winningest pitcher, Jamie Moyer, to the bullpen to make room for him in the rotation.

The move of demoting Moyer isn’t as dumb at it looks. Despite his 10 wins, the 46-year-old junk-ball artist has a 5.47 ERA and gives up a frightening number of hits. What the Phillies are saying is that they believe that’s a bar that Pedro won’t have a great deal of trouble clearing.

At least Pedro will be pitching for a team that’s coming off a win, even if it was another nailbiter. Monday night against Chicago, Happ pitched a nifty six innings, leaving with the game tied at 2-2. The Phillies took the lead in the eighth, but Lidge gave it back in the ninth. Three innings and three pitchers later, the Phils finally won, 3-2.

And there’s the problem. Even if Pedro pitches well, he’s going to be gone after six and then it’s going to be in the hands of a shaky bullpen with a Styrofoam anchor — Lidge. There doesn’t seem to be a solution, unless it’s moving starter Brett Myers back to the bullpen, where he was last the closer in 2007, picking up 21 saves in 24 opportunities. Some are saying that’s a move the team should have made long ago.

But that debate is for later. Right now, it’s all about a team trying desperately not to fall into old Philadelphia habits and gag on what once looked like an insurmountable lead. Right now, it’s all about the newest savior on Broad Street, Pedro Martinez.

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Tony Gutierrez / AP

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