Phillies Notes: Phillies' Oswalt says he was rusty

CINCINNATI - When Roy Oswalt took the mound for Game 2 of the National League division series, he was making his first start in 10 days. Oswalt had thrown an inning out of the bullpen for the Phillies on the season's final day, but that didn't offer much of a regular routine.

In the postseason, routines must be adjusted. There are more off days - especially if a series is wrapped up earlier than others.

Oswalt pitched just five innings but admitted after the game that he had felt better later in the game.

"I was a little rusty," he said. "I threw out of the bullpen, and I threw that inning against the Braves . . . but I felt better as the game was going. I felt like I could go two or three more innings and throw quality innings."

Of course, Roy Halladay started Game 1 against the Cincinnati Reds on nine days' rest. He threw a no-hitter.

"I mean, does it hurt us? I don't know," Charlie Manuel said of the change in routine. "Seriously, I mean, if we play good, I would say no. If we don't play good, I go, 'Yeah, it hurt us.' That's how people are. I'm no different."

Manuel tried to temper expectations for his starting pitchers while acknowledging the effect that lengthy rest can have.

"I felt like that could have had something to do with it," Manuel said. "But at the same time, I felt like you've got to remember, to me, what I saw was he gave up two home runs, and [Brandon] Phillips got three hits off him. . . . He's not going to throw shutouts all the time. That's why we've got an offense."

The cocaine-possession charge against Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies was dropped Friday, according to a report in the Kamloops (British Columbia) Daily News. Gillies is a native of British Columbia.

The Phillies would not confirm the report because they have yet to see official documentation exonerating Gillies.

Gillies was arrested June 11 in Clearwater, Fla., and charged Aug. 20 by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. An officer found Gillies, who had been at a bar, on the side of U.S. 19 trying to flag down a ride, according to a police report. He took Gillies to the player's hotel as a courtesy, but once Gillies got out of the police cruiser, the officer discovered a white bag of powder on the backseat's floor. Tests confirmed it was cocaine, and Gillies was charged with possession.

Kevin Hayslett, Gillies' lawyer and the self-proclaimed "Attorney to the Stars" in Clearwater, entered a not-guilty plea in early September. The Florida State Attorney's Office in Pinellas County dropped the charge Friday, the newspaper reported. According to the report, Gillies was drug-tested five hours after being arrested and the test was negative.

"I'm very glad that this ordeal is over," Gillies told the newspaper. "But I'm still very upset that it happened to me and that my character, which I've worked so hard to build, can even be questioned."

Gillies was one of three prospects acquired by the Phillies from Seattle in return for Cliff Lee during the off-season. The outfielder played in just 28 minor-league games in 2010 while limited by a nagging hamstring injury.

Hall of Famer and former Reds second baseman Joe Morgan threw out the first pitch. It was the first time in 15 years that a postseason game was played in this city.