Durbin starting to turn doubters into believers

SAN DIEGO – As Josh Bard's flyball drifted into left-centerfield, J.D. Durbin whispered to aggressive outfielders Michael Bourn and Aaron Rowand:

"Catch it. Catch it."

Rowand's knee jammed into Bourn's thigh. Durbin held his breath until the two untangled themselves: Rowand had the ball.

Durbin had a shutout.

In front of 15 friends yesterday and some family, including his father, Paul, Durbin provided the best start of his professional career: nine shutout innings for a team desperate for starting pitching.

He secured his spot in the Phillies' rotation for the near future. He proved to plenty of other clubs that his potential is finally paying off.

Durbin was waived four times in 17 days in late March and early April, finally clearing waivers with the Phillies and landing in Triple A.

When Jon Lieber was lost for the season with a ruptured foot tendon, Durbin got his chance on June 29. He gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets.

After prospect J.A. Happ similarly struggled the next day, the Phillies had little choice but to give Durbin another start. After three relief appearances, he started again last Tuesday and limited the Dodgers, the best hitting team in the National League, to one run in six innings.

Yesterday, he gave up five hits and three walks. Only Adrian Gonzalez made it as far as third base. Rowand's catch stranded him there.

"I feel sweet," Durbin said after the Phillies' 9-0 victory.

He feels relaxed. It's been a project.

After Durbin's June 29 start, pitching coach Rich Dubee and 44-year-old veteran Jamie Moyer spoke with him about dictating the game's tempo by controlling his excitement.

"The bus doesn't leave," said the methodical Moyer, "until you're done pitching."

"He definitely slowed down," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Yesterday and Tuesday, Durbin took deep breaths between pitches and, well, pitched. His curveball in the middle innings helped him record three strikeouts, all looking. Five of the seven hitters he faced in the first two innings swung at the first or second pitch.

He needed just 109 pitches to go the distance.

This, after being cast off by the Twins, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and, yes, the Phillies, who had six starters when they claimed him.

"It's unbelievable," Durbin said. "I'm as high as can be."

So much for easing Flash Gordon back.

So much for easing Flash Gordon back.

In his second appearance since coming off the disabled list, Gordon served as the setup man in Saturday's win over the Padres. Gordon pitched with a three-run lead. He was perfect.

Sooner than later, he is expected to return to the closer's role he vacated May 2.

Gordon missed 10 1/2 weeks with inflammation in his right shoulder resulting from an old, slight tear in his labrum. Upon Gordon's July 16 return, Charlie Manuel indicated he would get a few low-pressure appearances before being thrust into more meaningful spots.

Manuel admitted pitching the eighth inning of a tight game against a first-place team wasn't the sort of spot he preferred to use Gordon, but, he said, "He needed to get out there."

Gordon pitching Saturday also meant he would rest yesterday – he indicated that he's still a long way from pitching back-to-back days – as well as today's off day.

"I felt pretty good. I was pleased with it," said Gordon, who needed just seven pitches. He spoke yesterday and he gave every impression that he wanted to be cautious: "I feel all right; about as well as could be expected right now."

Gordon's inclusion Saturday negates any supposition that he won't be used in big spots and underscores the porous nature of the bullpen. Current closer Antonio Alfonseca did not follow Gordon Saturday because the Phillies piled on five runs in the ninth. He collected his first save in his last three chances Friday night . . . which, of course, means he blew the two that preceded it.

He will not occupy that role much longer. Manuel said Gordon will return to the closer's role as soon as he is able.

"We'll get Flash out there a couple more times then we'll see where we're at," Manuel said. And Alfonseca? "He'll pitch in the seventh and eighth."

That's because Manuel plans to bring along Gordon's understudy, Brett Myers, slowly, too. Myers has been out with a strained right shoulder but he could return to duty by the middle of this week.

He will pitch in a second rehab game tonight. After that, the team will determine whether he is fit to return to the majors.

Righthander Kyle Drabek, the Phillies' first-round draft choice in 2006, has succumbed to the right elbow issues that limited him to 11 outings this season at Class A Lakewood. He will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in New York . . . Padres catcher Michael Barrett, called out on strikes in the fifth, was ejected by home-plate umpire Chris Guccione. Padres manager Bud Black quickly followed Barrett. Black had complained to Guccione that Ryan Howard's back foot was out of the batter's box . . . Black had also protested the umpires' decision to allow Chase Utley to score from first base on Howard's double in the third. A fan in rightfield reached over the fence and touched Howard's bouncing hit. It was a fan-interference call, not a ground-rule double, so the runners advance at the umpires' discretion. *

Righthander Kyle Drabek, the Phillies' first-round draft choice in 2006, has succumbed to the right elbow issues that limited him to 11 outings this season at Class A Lakewood. He will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in New York . . . Padres catcher Michael Barrett, called out on strikes in the fifth, was ejected by home-plate umpire Chris Guccione. Padres manager Bud Black quickly followed Barrett. Black had complained to Guccione that Ryan Howard's back foot was out of the batter's box . . . Black had also protested the umpires' decision to allow Chase Utley to score from first base on Howard's double in the third. A fan in rightfield reached over the fence and touched Howard's bouncing hit. It was a fan-interference call, not a ground-rule double, so the runners advance at the umpires' discretion. *