Brad Lidge confident he can help Astros lose in the eighth inning just as much as in the ninth.

Although he has been demoted from closer to a setup role, Astros reliever Brad Lidge says he believes he can contribute just as much to team in the middle innings as he can in the ninth inning.“I’m going to keep going out there, and doing what I do – throwing the ball as hard as I can right down the middle of the plate,” said Lidge. “Whether that’s in the sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth inning, it’s no matter. The batter is going to have to put his bat on it. And if he does, good for him. It’s a guaranteed home run.”Even though he is disappointed to lose his closer’s role, Lidge admits he may serve the team better as a setup man.“Seeing me come in for the seventh or eighth inning will be motivating for the team,” said Lidge. “They’ll know that they still have one or two at-bats to come back from the deficit I put them in. Whereas when I gave up walkoff homers as a closer, they never had a chance to come back. Having me available at any point in the game will ensure the team never gets lackadaisical.”