"Hey," Huppert said, "You got a car?"

Swindle replied that he did.

"Get in Philly by 2 [p.m. ET on Monday]," Huppert said. "You're going back up."

Three days after being returned to the IronPigs, the Phillies recalled Swindle to replace an injured Tom Gordon in a bullpen that had been busier in the past two days than all season. Manager Charlie Manuel had used five relievers in two consecutive games for the first time in 2008.

Swindle was put to work early on Monday, on his 25th birthday. Summoned to replace Clay Condrey for the sixth, Swindle made his Major League debut with the Phillies trailing the Mets by seven in a game they would lose, 10-9. Manuel hoped the kid would eat up innings.

Pitching to David Wright, the first batter he faced, he dropped a 55-mph curve that had fans ooh-ing and ahh-ing.

"If I get two strikes, I'll be dropping it there," Swindle said before Monday's game. "Hopefully, I can throw a good one."

Swindle tried to throw a second one with two strikes, and Wright smacked a home run.

"After I gave up the home run, I though, 'Wow, welcome to the big leagues,'" he said. "After that, I was like, 'This is going to be tough. I have to bear down.'"

Swindle settled in to work three innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three. Though he was needed for innings Monday, his role is more of a lefty specialist, and he retired all four lefties he faced, including striking out Carlos Delgado twice.

"I think he can get lefties out," Manuel said. "I want to see him more. He gives you a different look. You're not used to seeing a guy pitch like that."

His fastball hovers in the low-to-mid 80s, the same speed, Swindle said, that it was in college and high school. He prides himself on finding unique ways to retire batters, and has even noticed some hitters laughing when they walk back to the dugout after swinging and missing at his curveball.

Swindle was initially called up on Tuesday, when Brett Myers was optioned to Lehigh Valley, and he was sent back three days later, when the Phillies called up pitcher J.A. Happ to take Myers' turn in the rotation.

"Obviously, my hope was to come back at some point," Swindle said. "I didn't know it was going to be as quick."

This time, he got to pitch, and he'll never forget hearing his name called in the bullpen and looking around the stadium before making his first pitch.

"My heart was pounding pretty hard," he said. "My adrenaline was definitely nerve-wracking. I was bringing it [in the bullpen]. Chad Durbin said before the game, 'Before you even throw a pitch, look around. This is the big leagues, take it all in.' I did that. The stadium is huge. People were cheering. There was nothing like it. You can't beat that."

Pitching matchup
PHI: LHP Cole Hamels (9-5, 3.22 ERA)
Hamels was one out away from recording his third complete game of the season Thursday against the Braves. But with his pitch count already at 125, Manuel didn't risk keeping Hamels on the mound. His rationale was that Hamels has two more starts to make before the All-Star break and a whole second half of the season to pitch. So Hamels had to settle for allowing one run on five hits in 8 2/3 innings. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his past six starts. Hamels is 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA in four career starts against the Cardinals. In his last start, Sept. 18, 2007, Hamels gave up three runs on five hits in three innings.

STL: RHP Joel Pineiro (2-4, 4.52 ERA)
Pineiro has had a rough stretch for the past two months. In his past nine starts, Pineiro is winless with seven no-decisions. Over that span, Pineiro has pitched effectively, but is coming off a rather poor outing against the Mets on Wednesday. Over five innings, Pineiro gave up four runs and scattered 11 hits -- most of which were hit with authority. Pineiro said after the game that it was just one of those nights where he had shaky command and kept missing his spots.

Tidbits
Pat Burrell hit a solo home run off Pedro Martinez in the sixth inning Monday night, his first hit off Martinez in 25 career plate appearances. The home run also gave Burrell 795 RBIs for his career, moving him into ninth place on the Phillies' all-time list. ... Les Walrond, a left-hander for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, struck out 17 batters in a shutout Sunday against the Louisville. Walrond's 17 strikeouts were the most by a pitcher in either the Major and Minor Leagues this season. ... Myers earned the victory in Lehigh Valley's 4-3 win over Louisville on Monday. Myers lasted 7 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out six.

Tickets
 Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• CSN

On radio
• WPHT 1210, SBN 1480 (Español)

Up next
• Wednesday: Phillies (J.A. Happ, 0-0, 3.86) vs. Cardinals (Mark Mulder, 0-0, 13.50), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Phillies (Jamie Moyer, 7-6, 4.12) vs. Cardinals (Braden Looper, 9-6, 4.15), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Phillies (Kyle Kendrick, 8-3, 4.39) vs. Diamondbacks (Doug Davis, 3-4, 3.74), 7:05 p.m. ET

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.