Joe Savery

THE PHILLIES did not announce Raul Valdes as Wednesday's starting pitcher until after Tuesday's game because of a pitching staff in flux. So a bullpen that can rarely provide three clean innings must chew up all nine Wednesday. The team apparently has no better option.   "That's the way we decided," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "That's what we felt comfortable with. " They waited to name Valdes in case he was needed Tuesday, but Vance Worley pitched into the seventh inning and it was unnecessary.

WASHINGTON - The gray No. 9 jersey hung in the locker closest to the door in the visitors clubhouse at Nationals Park. It was waiting for Domonic Brown, the Phillies' erstwhile top prospect, who emerged as one of Tuesday's big winners. Brown's plane from Syracuse, N.Y., was delayed, and it cost him a spot in the starting lineup Tuesday. He arrived around first pitch and pinch-hit in the eighth inning, getting a single. Starting Wednesday, he will play and he will play often. "He's going to get a chance," manager Charlie Manuel said.

MINNEAPOLIS - B.J. Rosenberg was one of the first Phillies in the dugout at Target Field before Wednesday's game. As the Twins took batting practice, the rookie reliever saw Rich Dubee leaning against the railing and shuffled closer to his pitching coach for a chat. The Phillies have already used 18 pitchers in 2012, and options are limited. They have called up whom they can, will not have reinforcements for some time, and cannot swing a trade for a meaningful addition. So learning on the fly is the only reality, and any nugget gleaned from a bad outing or chat with Dubee could help.

The Phillies did not announce Raul Valdes as Wednesday's starting pitcher until after Tuesday's game because of a pitching staff in flux. So a bullpen that can rarely provide three clean innings must chew up all nine Wednesday. The team apparently has no better option. "That's the way we decided," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "That's what we felt comfortable with. " They waited to name Valdes in case he was needed Tuesday, but Vance Worley pitched six innings and it was unnecessary.

IF HE wasn't playing the starring role, Joe Savery might think this was one of those hokey baseball stories that happen only in the movies. Here he was a former first-round draft pick who failed as a projected power pitcher but then suddenly had a rebirth as a lefthanded reliever. After beginning 2011 in Class A Clearwater as a first baseman, Savery, who was selected 19th overall out of Rice University in 2007, rediscovered his pitching arm after being promoted to Double A. By September, he was being called up by the Phillies when the rosters expanded.

Joe Savery had plans for Saturday morning. He was going to load up his truck and cruise down Interstate 81 toward his home in Houston, a trip that would offer him plenty of time to ponder an unusual season in the minor leagues, a season that ended when the triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs were eliminated by Columbus in the International League championship series. "I was planning on heading home and playing with Team USA in the Pan Am Games," Savery said. "That's what I was planning on doing.

BALTIMORE - You put the ball in Cliff Lee's $120 million hand so it doesn't come down to Ty Wigginton's shaky glove. You pay Jonathan Papelbon $50 million, then order him to enjoy the view of another walk-off loss from out in the bullpen. You play Wigginton at third, Michael Martinez at second, and Hector Luna at first, then watch your defense give away outs. You lose in the 10th inning when Baltimore's .255-hitting cleanup hitter doubles home a run off Joe Savery, and you have to ponder whether that's worse than the .237-hitting 8-hole hitter blasting a three-run bomb off Lee in the fourth.

Joe Savery had plans for Saturday morning. He was going to load up his truck and cruise down I-81 toward his home in Houston, a trip that would offer him plenty of time to ponder an unusual season in the minor leagues, a season that ended when the triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs were eliminated by Columbus in the International League championship series. "I was planning on heading home and playing with Team USA in the Pan Am Games," Savery said. "That's what I was planning on doing.

LIKE A LOT of pitchers, Dontrelle Willis hasn't had a whole lot of success at Citizens Bank Park. The former starter, who was officially signed as a free agent by the Phillies yesterday, has a 3-4 record with a 7.14 ERA at the Bank. However, unlike a lot of pitchers, Willis does have a fond memory at the Phils' hitter-friendly phone booth. And he has longtime friend Jimmy Rollins to thank for it. "I actually hit a home run here with Jimmy's bat," Willis said, laughing. "It's just fun playing here.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Pitching coach Rich Dubee is concerned about the lefthanded pitcher he expects to fill a crucial role in his bullpen and smitten with another one he sent to the minors Tuesday. Antonio Bastardo was charged with three runs on two hits and a walk Tuesday. After a week of inaction to rectify what the Phillies believe is a dehydration issue, the team has yet to see improvement in Bastardo's velocity. "I would say there is mild concern," Dubee said after a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh.