Phillies Notes | Myers closing in on the closer role?

Manager

Charlie Manuel

says

Tom Gordon

is still his closer, but the pieces are clearly in place for

Brett Myers

to take over a slice of the job.

"We're committed to [Gordon] until Brett becomes better or whatever, and we'll see from there," Manuel said before last night's 11-4 rout of Houston. "Flash still has good stuff. The fact that he's been hit has more to do with his command than anything. At the same time, we have to get Myers out there in a save situation and see how things go. I want to break him in right."

Manuel was asked if Gordon and Myers were competing for the job.

"I don't know if it's a competition," he said. "But I hope it's a good setting for both of them because then we could have a strong bullpen. Myers will get some save opportunities. Gordon will, too."

Gordon was available as the closer last night, but was not needed. Manuel said Myers was probably not available after having thrown in games or the bullpen nearly every day since being moved to relief Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Gordon surrendered a two-out, ninth-inning homer to Cincinnati's Scott Hatteberg to blow a 1-0 lead Friday night. He took the loss an inning later.

Gordon has relied heavily on his fastball and cut fastball. His signature hard-dropping curveball has been nearly invisible. Manuel believes the pitch will come as Gordon gets more work. The Phillies closely monitored the righthander's workload in spring training, and he still needs repetitions.

"His velocity is coming back," Manuel said. "His arm is starting to feel good. Command of his breaking ball is the next step. He doesn't feel his breaking ball is there yet. He just needs work."

Manuel expounded on his reason for using Myers in a 9-2 game Sunday. He said Myers, 26, was set to pitch for a save in the ninth. But the Phillies scored four runs in the top of the ninth, eliminating the save situation. Myers had already gone through a full warm-up, which would likely have made him unavailable last night, so Manuel decided to get him the work.

"I could have explained it better," Manuel said, "but we won a game and I was enjoying being asked about it."

The Phils returned catcher

Ryan Budde

to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of three players selected by the Phils in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 draft in December. Pitchers

Jim Ed Warden

(Cleveland) and

Alfredo Simon

(Texas) were returned to their original clubs in spring training.

- Jim Salisbury