Phillies Notebook: Giles wants to show what he can do

CINCINNATI - Ken Giles hadn't pitched in the previous 2 days. And then a save situation presented itself on Saturday afternoon at Coca Cola Park in Allentown, where the Lehigh Valley IronPigs held a 3-1 lead over Indianapolis.

Luis Garcia, and not Giles, was called in for the ninth inning. The IronPigs won.

Giles was called into manager Dave Brundage's office after the game.

"I didn't know what was going on," Giles, 23, said. "I thought it was just a meeting."

And then, Brundage laid it on him.

"We're getting you a flight to Cincinnati," he said.

Giles still didn't know what was going on.

"Did I get traded?" Giles said, recalling the conversation yesterday morning at Great American Ball Park. "I thought I got traded at first. And then they told me you're going up to the Philies. And I'm like, 'Oh, OK. I'll get out of here then.' "

Giles will replace Mike Adams in the bullpen. Adams was placed on the DL with right rotator cuff inflammation, Adams' fourth trip to the DL since signing a 2-year, $12 million free-agent deal before last season.

Giles has been a popular name among a Phillies fan base ready for change, simply because he is the owner of a fastball that occasionally touches triple digits on the radar gun. He's aware of his popularity.

"It trickled down pretty fast. I've already heard it," he said.

Does that mean added pressure?

"Not at all," Giles said. "If it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not. I know what I can do and I'm going to show them what I can do."

Giles was dominant at Double A to begin the 2014 season, sporting a 1.20 ERA in 13 games and racking up 29 strikeouts (while walking just five) in 15 innings.

He was promoted to Triple A a month ago, where he went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA and five saves. He struck out nine and walked eight in 13 2/3 innings at Lehigh.

Giles said he had to adjust to the more experienced hitters at Triple A. And that he wasn't trying to pile up strikeouts, but instead get outs quicker to have shorter innings.

Prior to this season, Giles had never pitched above Class A as he had battled command and rib-cage-injury issues since being drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. Giles remains grounded despite the hype that comes with being the owner of a 100-mph fastball.

Prior to his first game in a big-league uniform, Giles said he's not yet a finished product.

"I'm not perfect," said Giles. "I'm not a complete project yet. But I'm only going to get better with experience."

Giles did not get a chance to make his major league debut yesterday. But it may have been a blessing in disguise as his family wasn't able to get to Cincinnati from Albuquerque, N.M., in time for the game.

Giles' parents will be in Philly tomorrow.

Jimmy Rollins' third-inning single moved him five hits from passing Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for the Phillies franchise record for hits . . . The Phillies are off today after playing 20 games in 20 days. They'll begin a six-game homestand against the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs starting tomorrow. With today's off day, the Phils shuffled their rotation to keep Cole Hamels on his regular fifth day. It will be A.J. Burnett (3-5, 4.41 ERA) vs. Ian Kennedy (5-6, 3.39) tomorrow, Hamels (2-3, 3.49) vs. Tyson Ross (6-5, 3.22) on Wednesday and Kyle Kendrick (1-6, 4.30) vs. Andrew Cashner (2-5, 2.35) in Thursday's matinee . . . When Rollins hit a two-run home run on Saturday, it gave him his 160th career multi-RBI game out of the leadoff spot. It moved Rollins into a tie with Pete Rose for multiple-RBI games from the leadoff spot. Only Ricky Henderson (242) and Johnny Damon (173) have more such games in the last 100 years . . . Lefthanded pitcher Cesar Jimenez cleared waivers and has accepted an assignment to Triple A Lehigh Valley. Jimenez had been designated for assignment on Friday as the Phillies had to make room on the 40-man roster this weekend for Ronny Cedeno and Ken Giles.