Clay Condrey

Lou Collier homered in each game and drove in six runs as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons swept a doubleheader from the Columbus Clippers in the International League last night. The Barons won the first game, 7-2, behind 5 2/3 strong innings from Clay Condrey and a two-run homer by Collier, who drove in four runs in the 6-4 second-game win. Binghamton 5, Trenton 4 BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - A bases-loaded walk in the 14th inning gave the Mets the Eastern League win. Lakewood 12, Hagerstown 2 LAKEWOOD, N.J. - Carlos Rodriguez scored four times to lead the Blue Claws in the Sally League.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Relievers J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey both threw successful 35-pitch bullpen sessions at the Phillies' Bright House Field yesterday morning. Romero, sidelined with a strained left forearm, said he is looking to rejoin the Phillies before the season ends. Of his session, Romero said: "I'm OK with it. I am a work in progress. " Suspended for the first 50 games this season after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Romero made a rehab appearence for Class A Clearwater against Dunedin on Aug. 7 that lasted only 10 pitches.

Clay Condrey pitched a complete game and struck out five to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons past the Syracuse SkyChiefs, 10-2, in the International League yesterday. Mark Budzinski doubled and singled and drove in three runs, while Lou Collier hit two solo home runs and Mark Smith added a two-run shot to support Condrey's effort. Reading 3, New Hampshire 2 READING - Kurt Keene's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth drove in the winning run as the Phillies beat the Fisher Cats in the Eastern League.

MOOSIC, Pa. - Gavin Floyd pitched eight scoreless innings last night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons beat the Ottawa Lynx, 5-0, in the International League. The former Phillies righthander struck out five while allowing only five hits. Clay Condrey pitched a hitless ninth to preserve the shutout. Reading 2, Portland 1 READING - J.A. Happ and Joe Bisenius combined on a two-hitter as the Phillies edged the Sea Dogs in the Eastern League. Happ gave up both hits and a run in seven innings while striking out five.

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.

Clay Condrey and two relievers held Richmond to four hits last night and Shawn Wooten hit a two-run single in the sixth inning as Scranton Wilkes-Barre beat the Braves, 2-1, in the International League. Condrey (7-6) had allowed 31 earned runs in 19 innings in July, but escaped a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the fourth and lasted 7 1/3 innings, allowing three hits. Jim Crowell and Spike Lundberg finished, with Lundberg getting his third save. Ryan Howard batted cleanup in his triple-A debut, going 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Former Phillies righthander Clay Condrey and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to terms on a 1-year, free-agent contract. The Twins announced the deal with the reliever yesterday. Minnesota also released righthanded reliever Bobby Keppel. The 34-year-old Condrey became a free agent after pitching four seasons for the Phillies, going 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 42 innings last year for the NL champions. Condrey walked 14 and struck out 25. He became a free agent when the Phillies did not tender him a contract in December.

Baseball's off-season enters a new phase at 11:59 p.m. tonight, when teams must decide whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. Non-tendered players become free agents at midnight. Barring an unexpected change, the Phillies will offer arbitration to righthanders Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey and Joe Blanton. Several non-tender candidates could be attractive to the Phils, who are looking for a late-inning reliever and back-of-the-rotation starter. The possibilities include Washington closer Mike McDougal, who became expendable when the Nationals acquired reliever Brian Bruney from the New York Yankees, and San Diego starter Kevin Correia, expected to be non-tendered.

Clay Condrey gave up just two hits in seven shutout innings to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons past the Rochester Red Wings, 5-0, in the International League last night. Dan Giese followed with two shutout innings of relief. A.J. Hinch had a double and a single in three at-bats and drove in three runs for the Barons, who rapped out 10 hits. Mark Smith hit his first homer of the season in leading off the sixth inning for Scranton. The designated hitter had two hits and scored twice.

So what's next? The Phillies blew eighth-inning leads against the New York Mets on Wednesday and the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, which resulted in painful losses. Then yesterday at Wrigley Field, they lost a lead in the sixth inning and fell victim to a blown call in the seventh that helped account for a 3-2 loss to the Cubs that put them two games behind the New York Mets in the National League East. Losses like the last three are tough to forget. And it's not even September.

SAN DIEGO - These are the nights that breed the most frustration. An otherworldly pitcher was human for the span of three batters and it was the difference between winning and losing. Without any semblance of a consistent offense, the Phillies straddle such a precarious line nightly. Roy Halladay did not possess his typical pristine command of his pitches in a 5-1 loss. He had half as many hits as the players paid millions to actually hit the baseball. So the Phillies lost to the worst team in baseball and there was nothing surprising about it - save the uncharacteristic spell of Halladay walks.

YOU HEAR IT all the time, that each year's Phillies team owns a different personality than the one before. But only when you scan the rosters of the Phillies teams responsible for their string of five straight division titles does the axiom become emphasized. Scott Eyre, Eric Bruntlett, So Taguchi, Tadahito Iguchi, Clay Condrey. Tom Gordon, Rudy Seanez, Chad Durbin, Abraham Nunez. Antonio Alfonseca, Jose Mesa, Paul Bako, Chan Ho Park. Tyler Walker, Jack Taschner . . . You get the gist.

Two years into his new role as a full-time reliever, Chad Durbin learned how fickle the role can be. In 2008, Durbin was one of Charlie Manuel's most reliable pitchers. He had a 2.87 ERA and 40 of his 71 appearances for the Phillies came in the seventh or eighth inning. But those 71 games also marked a career high. So Durbin took a few extra weeks off during the off-season to rest his arm. But as he began 2009, he said he realized he didn't have his legs and had failed to do all of the core exercise work he needed.

Dependability and predictability are great qualities for a baseball starting pitcher, and the way Ruben Amaro Jr. sees it, Joe Blanton is the roster equivalent of a washing machine that earns a solid "good" from Consumer Reports. Maybe there are models out there that look better on the showroom floor. Maybe some can deliver brighter colors and crisper whites. But throw the switch on the Blantonator and the clothes will get washed. "We know what we're going to get," Amaro said when the Phillies signed Blanton to a three-year, $24 million contract last week.

Former Phillies righthander Clay Condrey and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to terms on a 1-year, free-agent contract. The Twins announced the deal with the reliever yesterday. Minnesota also released righthanded reliever Bobby Keppel. The 34-year-old Condrey became a free agent after pitching four seasons for the Phillies, going 6-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 42 innings last year for the NL champions. Condrey walked 14 and struck out 25. He became a free agent when the Phillies did not tender him a contract in December.

One of the final tasks remaining for Ruben Amaro Jr. in this busy off-season for the Phillies is to fortify a bullpen that was a weakness last season. The market is full of relievers, and a few even have closing experience. Considering that the Phillies had 22 blown saves last season (which tied them with four teams for the eighth most in baseball), adding a former closer could have advantages. The Phillies have shown interest in at least one such pitcher: Mike MacDougal, who closed last season for the Washington Nationals.

Saturday night's non-tender deadline ensured a busy week of free-agent activity in baseball and created several intriguing possibilities for the Phillies. Minutes after the 11:59 p.m. deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, the Phils announced that they had not offered arbitration to righthander Clay Condrey. That made the 34-year-old righthander a free agent and created another opening in a bullpen already seeking help. The decision to pass on Condrey came as something of a surprise after general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s comments last week about Condrey and fellow righthander Chad Durbin.

Baseball's off-season enters a new phase at 11:59 p.m. tonight, when teams must decide whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. Non-tendered players become free agents at midnight. Barring an unexpected change, the Phillies will offer arbitration to righthanders Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey and Joe Blanton. Several non-tender candidates could be attractive to the Phils, who are looking for a late-inning reliever and back-of-the-rotation starter. The possibilities include Washington closer Mike McDougal, who became expendable when the Nationals acquired reliever Brian Bruney from the New York Yankees, and San Diego starter Kevin Correia, expected to be non-tendered.

So, is it true that if you win a World Series you never have to buy another meal or drink in this town again? "Especially if you wear your ring out here, there'll probably be a few more things thrown at you," said Phillies pitcher Clay Condrey, mentioning that he usually prefers to "stay incognito. " For the higher-profile Phillies, the attention is automatic - and so are the perks from winning it all. Quite a few of last season's World Series champions made money well beyond their salaries and winners' shares - and continue to do so. After Cole Hamels was named MVP of last season's World Series, after his dominant 2008 postseason, he became a recognizable face around the country, not just a name.

Charlie Manuel knows that relief pitching is the Phillies' greatest weakness, so he will attempt a creative solution for the playoffs: Send J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton to the bullpen for Games 1 and 2 of the division series. In addition to making two starters temporary relievers, Manuel and the front office decided to include rookie lefthander Antonio Bastardo and righthander Kyle Kendrick on the postseason roster. Veteran righties Clay Condrey and Tyler Walker were not included.