Chad Durbin

1. Jose Contreras 2. Chad Durbin 3. Brad Lidge 4. Ryan Madson

A perfect gift One by one, the Phillies players walked up to Roy Halladay before Tuesday night's game and shook his hand. Halladay's smile was the widest it has been since he joined the team. The righthander purchased around 60 Swiss-made Baumé & Mercier watches to commemorate his perfect game May 29 against the Marlins. He gave out the watches as gifts to everyone in the clubhouse - all of the players who were on the active roster then, the entire coaching staff, all clubhouse personnel (including batboy Rob DiClementi)

Phillies righthander Chad Durbin tossed a scoreless inning last night for Class A Clearwater in the Threshers' 5-1 win over Dunedin. Durbin, making his first rehab appearance, allowed one hit and a walk while striking out two. Of his 20 pitches, 13 were for strikes. He went on the disabled list on July 23 with a back ailment. "It felt really good," Durbin said. "There was no anticipation of anything and no pain at all. The hard work the trainers have done has really paid off. " Durbin is looking forward to tomorrow and his next rehab appearance.

It appears the Phillies' troika of middle relievers who factored significantly in last season's World Series title run will be out a little longer than the club had originally hoped. Lefthander J.C. Romero, who went on the disabled list with a strained left forearm, was eligible to be activated yesterday. But assistant general manager Scott Proefrock conceded that Romero is coming along a little more slowly than hoped. "Yeah, I would think that's fair to say," Proefrock said before the Phillies began a six-game homestand last night against Colorado.

Position: Righthanded relief pitcher Height, weight: 6-2, 185 Age: 36. Birthdate: June 30, 1973 Hometown: Kong Ju City, South Korea Years in the majors: 16 How acquired: Signed as a free agent on Jan. 6, 2009. Season: Park signed with the Phillies hoping to fill out their five-man rotation. That didn't work out as expected, but Park became a key component of the bullpen and the Phillies' return to the playoffs. Park appeared in 45 games this year, 38 as a reliever, and compiled a 4.43 ERA. He allowed 84 hits over 83 1/3 innings of work.

Today is the first day players can file for arbitration, and the four eligible Phillies are likely to be due for some raises. Shane Victorino, Carlos Ruiz, Joe Blanton, and Chad Durbin have until Jan. 15 to file for arbitration after the Phils tendered the players contract offers last month. All four are likely to file during that period. Victorino, who made $3.1 million last season after signing a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, could see the largest raise. The centerfielder batted .292 with 60 RBIs and 25 steals last season, when he won his second straight Gold Glove.

It was a no-brainer for the Phillies to offer Jayson Werth arbitration on Tuesday. The decision on Chad Durbin left room for debate, but the team decided against risking a raise it was uncomfortable paying to the righthanded reliever. The decisions don't affect the Phillies' ability to negotiate with the two free agents. What it means is they will receive compensation if Werth, a Type A free agent, signs elsewhere; and no compensation if Durbin leaves. The arbitration offer to Werth was expected - it's a win-win for the Phillies.

Septembers to remember: The Phillies have won 18 games in September. The franchise record is 22, set in 1916 and matched in 1983. Everybody not named Jose Bautista: With nine games remaining, the Phillies have hit 154 home runs this season. Even in a season when power numbers are generally down across baseball, that's a steep decline for a team that launched 224 bombs in 2009. Little help here: Everybody knows the Phillies just finished sweeping the Braves. But did you realize that they did it by starting a lineup each night that didn't include a single regular batting .300?

NEW YORK - J.A. Happ enjoyed a regular season that could earn him the National League rookie-of-the-year award, but his postseason was nowhere near as eventful. After the Phillies' elimination from the World Series with last night's 7-3 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium, second-guessers surely will be asking over the winter whether Happ should have been given a more prominent postseason role. "Jay was put in some tough spots for a guy who was starting," Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said.

Citizens Bank Park, 8:07 p.m. TV: TBS. Radio: WPHT (1210), WUBA (1480), ESPN (97.5-FM, 950-AM) Weather: Partly cloudy, mid 50s. Game Line: Phillies -$140; Dodgers +$130. Over/Under: 8 Runs. Phillies lead best-of-seven series, 3-1   Pitching matchup Dodgers RHP Vicente Padilla   2009: 12-6; 4.46 ERA; 26 games/25 starts; 9.53 hits/9 innings; 1.80 strikeouts/walks; 16 home runs; 0-0 vs. Phillies. Career: 98-85; 4.33 ERA; 305 games/221 starts; 9.13 hits/9 innings; 1.93 strikeouts/walks; 160 home runs; 0-1 vs. Phillies 2009: 1-0; 0.63 ERA; 2 games/2 starts; 5.02 hits/9 innings; 5.00 strikeouts/walks; 1 home run; 0-0 vs. Phillies.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Nearly two thousand miles away, Brad Lidge tested his sore arm for 16 pitches on Tuesday as the Phillies front office watched with more than casual interest. If Lidge isn't a healthy closer this season, the job falls to Ryan Madson, and the bullpen domino chain that leads back through the eighth, seventh, and sixth innings will tumble in the process. Even before Lidge's bout with biceps tendinitis, it was fair to ask who would fill the flexible setup role that was held by Chad Durbin for three years.

It wasn't that the Phillies wanted to do without veteran lefthander J.C. Romero in their bullpen in 2011. But after two suspension- and-injury-marred seasons, they were sure as heck willing to try rather than pick up the $4.5 million option on his contract. So they explored trades to add an experienced lefty. They negotiated with free agents, watched some sign elsewhere and even came to the brink of reaching an agreement with Dennys Reyes before he was red-flagged during a physical.

This time, there were no issues when a lefthanded reliever came to Philadelphia for a physical to finalize a contract. So J.C. Romero is officially back, with the Phillies announcing the one-year, $1.35 million deal Thursday. Romero, who will turn 35 in June, is taking a significant pay cut to return for his fifth season. His deal also includes performance bonuses. It also could be the final meaningful addition to the Phillies' roster this off-season, meaning that Chad Durbin is likely the odd man out. Trading Joe Blanton remains a priority.

It was a no-brainer for the Phillies to offer Jayson Werth arbitration on Tuesday. The decision on Chad Durbin left room for debate, but the team decided against risking a raise it was uncomfortable paying to the righthanded reliever. The decisions don't affect the Phillies' ability to negotiate with the two free agents. What it means is they will receive compensation if Werth, a Type A free agent, signs elsewhere; and no compensation if Durbin leaves. The arbitration offer to Werth was expected - it's a win-win for the Phillies.

The three biggest names to know as the Arizona Fall League ticks toward conclusion? Justin DeFratus, Josh Zeid and Matthew Rizzotti. Two of those names are probably familiar to those with at least a passing knowledge of the Phillies' farm system. Rizzotti, a sixth-round pick in 2007, murdered pitching at Double A Reading in 2010, hitting .361 with a .452 on base percentage and 16 home runs before earning a late-season promotion to Triple A. DeFratus, meanwhile, saved 21 games with a 1.94 ERA at Reading and Clearwater.

Septembers to remember: The Phillies have won 18 games in September. The franchise record is 22, set in 1916 and matched in 1983. Everybody not named Jose Bautista: With nine games remaining, the Phillies have hit 154 home runs this season. Even in a season when power numbers are generally down across baseball, that's a steep decline for a team that launched 224 bombs in 2009. Little help here: Everybody knows the Phillies just finished sweeping the Braves. But did you realize that they did it by starting a lineup each night that didn't include a single regular batting .300?

1. Jose Contreras 2. Chad Durbin 3. Brad Lidge 4. Ryan Madson

A perfect gift One by one, the Phillies players walked up to Roy Halladay before Tuesday night's game and shook his hand. Halladay's smile was the widest it has been since he joined the team. The righthander purchased around 60 Swiss-made Baumé & Mercier watches to commemorate his perfect game May 29 against the Marlins. He gave out the watches as gifts to everyone in the clubhouse - all of the players who were on the active roster then, the entire coaching staff, all clubhouse personnel (including batboy Rob DiClementi)

There comes a point in the season when every contending ballclub segregates its bullpen into two distinct categories: Guys who the manager and pitching coach trust and guys who make pulling toenails out with a pair of pliers seem more palatable than using them in a game that hasn't, for all practical purposes, already been decided. No official announcements are made. Managers might not even make a conscious decision, just sense in their guts when the time has come to stop thinking about prepping each reliever for later in the season and doing whatever it takes to win every game right now. There's a compelling stack of evidence that the Phillies reached that moment of truth at Sun Life Stadium in Florida on Aug. 5. They beat the Marlins, but it wasn't easy.