Phillies Notes: Better late than never: Bastardo finding his groove

NEW YORK - Antonio Bastardo's black hair is curling as it grows, and his beard is scraggly, just the 27-year-old lefthander's way of showing the toll of this season. He feels good now, but no one - including the pitcher - knows what will happen next. Asked to describe 2012, Bastardo repeatedly said, "Inconsistent."

"That's the word that fits him the most," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Bastardo's ERA is 4.56. He has allowed backbreaking home runs. He has failed to flourish in the eighth inning, which he did so magnificently in 2011. And he qualifies as one of the year's biggest disappointments.

"It's been a hard season," Bastardo said. "Hard times."

Bastardo wears it emotionally. He knows the negatives have outweighed the positives, but there are always two ways of looking at it.

The lefty has made 59 appearances, and 46 are scoreless. He is fourth among all major-league relievers with 14.07 strikeouts per nine innings. He has a 0.96 ERA in his last 12 appearances with 20 strikeouts in 91/3 innings.

"He could bounce right back," Manuel said, "and have a hell of a year for you."

Bastardo will be back; of all the pitchers who have floated in and out of the bullpen, two are guaranteed jobs. They are Jonathan Papelbon and Bastardo, who should make about $1 million in his first year of salary arbitration.

The rising number of strikeouts portends success. Bastardo is walking only slightly more batters than in 2011. His hits and home runs are up. That, he theorized, was the result of some bad luck.

Thirty-four relievers in baseball history have posted a strikeout rate of 13 or more per nine innings when pitching at least 40 innings. Bastardo has the highest ERA of any. That also signals poor luck.

If anything, Bastardo has still proven he can retire lefties. They are hitting .169 (13 for 77) with 31 strikeouts.

"In the middle of the season, I was so inconsistent with my mechanics," Bastardo said.

Bastardo said he missed sounding boards such as Jose Contreras and Danys Baez, relievers he solicited for advice and observation. That prompted Bastardo to do more work on his own, including additional video study.

It's the most important lesson he'll take from 2012.

"More work," Bastardo said. "Better focus."

With Monday's day off, the Phillies could skip Tyler Cloyd's next turn in the rotation.

"We haven't really talked about it yet," Manuel said. "We've got some pitchers we have to watch and keep an eye on."

The Phillies will start Kyle Kendrick, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee opposite Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, and Tim Hudson this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. Cloyd's next turn would be Tuesday against Washington.

If he is indeed skipped, he could make one final start, in Miami on Sept. 29.

The Phillies will present Atlanta's Chipper Jones with a gift prior to Friday's series opener against the Braves. Jones is retiring at season's end and has been honored at most visiting ballparks. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are expected to take part in the ceremony. . . . Ryan Howard's game-winning home run Wednesday snapped a 67- at-bat homer drought, the longest of his career.