Phillies Notes: Oswalt can't be overlooked

SAN DIEGO - On the 14th pitch of the tedious at-bat by Jorge Cantu, Roy Oswalt decided he had to end it some way. Cantu had fouled off nine pitches against the Phillies starter in the fourth inning of Thursday's 3-0 win. Oswalt had thrown him sinkers, change-ups, and curveballs.

So he invented pitch No. 14, a usual slider grip with his middle finger driven into the ball to alter the spin.

"I spiked it," Oswalt said.

Just about anything has worked for Oswalt since he became a Phillie. Thursday marked the righthander's 16th regular-season start, equal to a half-season's body of work.

In his first game since leaving with mid-back spasms, Oswalt was sharp. He allowed one hit in six innings and struck out seven.

If it weren't for two consecutive at-bats in the fourth inning that required 21 pitches, he probably could have gone seven and helped the Phillies avoid the adventure that was nine outs in the bullpen.

"They did work him and made him earn everything he got," manager Charlie Manuel said.

In those 16 starts as a Phillie, Oswalt has a 1.70 ERA. The Phillies have won 13 of those games started by Oswalt. He, personally, has won 10 of them. Only once has he failed to pitch at least six innings, and that was Sept. 28, 2010 - the day after the Phillies clinched the National League East - when he faced a 67-pitch limit.

His worst start was his first one, which happened 24 hours after he was traded to the Phillies. He still took his turn in the rotation having barely met his new teammates.

Oswalt has kept the Phillies in every game he has pitched, allowing two or fewer runs in 13 of his 16 starts.

In other words, he has been very good - and perhaps even a bit overlooked.

It helped Thursday that Oswalt faced a despicable offense that entered the game dead last in the majors with a .222 batting average. San Diego did not get its first hit until the 90th pitch Oswalt threw.

He said he had no ill effects from the injury, but he appeared to be cautious when fielding and batting. The average velocity of his fastball and sinker was 91 m.p.h., a slight click off his usual speed. Manuel said he noticed it, but Oswalt said it was not significant.

"At times," Manuel said. "About the third or fourth inning, he started getting down to 90, 91. He usually sits 92, 94."

After 106 pitches in six innings, Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee decided that was enough.

"I think he was starting to get a little tight," Manuel said. "He didn't say too much. Rich and I definitely thought it was time to get him."

The bullpen made it interesting, but ultimately, Oswalt's effort was the difference. And just about anything Ace No. 3 has done in a Phillies uniform - including inventing a pitch in the middle of an at-bat - has worked.

The opportunity is present for David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo, a development the Phillies did not anticipate happening this soon. Both 25-year-old pitchers say their confidence has never been higher as they continue to be called upon for the seventh inning.

The results have not been the same. Just pay attention to the actions of  Dubee for a hint.

After Herndon's disastrous three-batter, no-out appearance Tuesday, Dubee pulled the pitcher aside. "Know who you are," he told Herndon.

After Bastardo extended his scoreless streak to eight innings with a stellar outing Thursday, Dubee proudly admired a pitcher taking advantage of his chance.

"He's on a good run," Dubee said. "He needs to keep the momentum going. He seems focused. He's executing pitches. He's done a nice job."

Both Herndon and Bastardo pitched in the seventh inning of Thursday's 3-0 win. Herndon, who made an adjustment with his arm slot after that bad outing vs. Milwaukee, retired the first two batters he faced on sinkers. But Nick Hundley singled on a slider and Cameron Maybin walked on five pitches.