Bill Conlin: For Phillies, Sergio Escalona's shifts have saved rocky moments

SEISMOLOGISTS HAVE the Richter scale to measure the duration and impact of earthquakes.

Earthquakes never take a day off. Or even a minute. That little needle is constantly jiggling on seismographs around the world.

The Phillies use an Escalonograph to measure the duration and impact of their 2009 roster moves.

It would be wrong to review a Phillies first half that ranged between unreal and surreal without a nod to GM Ruben Amaro's bridge over troubled waters, a rookie lefthanded relief pitcher named Sergio Escalona.

The kid is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA for 6 1/3 innings of varsity work and all he's got to show for it is a lousy E-ZPass, good, one assumes, for unlimited travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension. Driving to Reading, he's on his own.

Leaving this frequent transactions flier, this bullpen commuter, out of a first-half evaluation of the defending World Series champions would be like writing at some length on the Phillies' often disorderly march to the All-Star break without once mentioning Cole Hamels. So this grizzled halftime commentator will not ignore a troubling performance by the Phillies' anointed ace and dual October MVP, or the 10 call-ups and send-downs Escalona has handled during a season that began in Reading, shifted to Allentown and has taken him to wherever the Phillies have a game scheduled.

Look for a new computer game: "Where in the World is Sergio Escalona?"

Drew Carpenter sent down after a spot start. (Escalona called up.) . . . John Mayberry called up. (Escalona sent down.) . . . Mayberry sent down. (Escalona called up.) . . . Antonio Bastardo called up. (Escalona sent down.) . . . Spot starter Kyle Kendrick sent down. (Escalona called up.) . . . Tyler Walker called up. (Escalona sent down.) . . . Brad Lidge on rehab assignment. (Escalona called up.) . . . Lidge activated. (Escalona sent down.) . . . Scott Eyre on rehab assignment. (Escalona called up.) . . . Eyre activated. (Escalona sent down.) . . .

You get the idea.