in competition with Antonio Bastardo over who would pitch the eighth. Despite seeing a decreased velocity on his fastball, Lidge found success in later innings with his slider, working up to an 11.29 K/9 by the end of September. Lidge's strong relationship with Madson helped both players adjust to their new positions. Lidge told reporters during the 2011 NLCS that, while Madson was closing, he would find himself "shaking pitches off with [Madson]. I feel that I am there with him." Lidge played in 25 games during the 2011 season, during which he posted a 0–2 record with a 1.40 ERA and struck out 23 batters in innings. Washington Nationals (2012) On January 26, 2012, the Washington Nationals signed Lidge to a one-year, $1 million contract, plus additional incentives. He had not been signed as a closer for Washington, but after Drew Storen suffered from elbow inflammation during spring training, the team prepared to use Lidge and Henry Rodríguez in the ninth inning. The pair officially took over for Storen when the latter underwent surgery for a bone chip in his elbow. After allowing four earned runs in seven innings and blowing two saves, Lidge was placed on the disabled list with an abdominal wall strain. He was diagnosed with a sports hernia and underwent surgery on May 1, with an estimated recovery time of three weeks before he could begin throwing again. After pitching a perfect inning in a rehab assignment for the Class A-Advanced Potomac Nationals, Lidge was able to rejoin the Washington active roster on June 7, a week earlier than expected; he effectively replaced Rodríguez, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained finger. He was unable to perform with the Nationals, going 0–1 with two saves and a 9.64 ERA in 11 bullpen appearances, with opposing hitters batting .308 against him. The Nationals designated Lidge for assignment on June 17 after two poor outings against the New York Yankees, and Ryan Mattheus was activated in his place. He was released from his contract shortly after, and returned home to Colorado in order to spend time with his family and consider whether or not he would pursue another contract. Retirement After being released from the Nationals, Lidge took the remainder of the summer to decide whether he wanted to continue his pitching career. On December 2, 2012, he announced his intentions to retire from