Two days before, another 24-year-old southpaw, Ricky Romero, faced a similar situation and used a strong game against the Astros to secure his spot as the Jays' No.4 starter.

In contrast, Mills delivered still more uncertainty in the Jays' 9-1 loss last night.

He walked just one in 51/3 innings, but threw only 57 of his 102 pitches for strikes. Four earned runs pushed his spring training ERA to 5.54 and he surrendered 10 hits.

Stat lines like that don't vault pitchers from Double A, where he pitched last year, to the majors and Mills knows it.

"I'm disappointed looking back on it that it was kind of my last impression," Mills said. "It's frustrating to look back and have your last (spring) outing ... be like that, but I'm going to try to take the positives away from it and I think I'll be better off wherever I pitch this year."

Though the Phillies hit him hard, they had scored only two runs before Raul Ibanez knocked a fifth-inning changeup into the palm trees beyond the right-field fence for a two-run homer.

After Mills' underwhelming performance, the Jays might not decide on a fifth starter until tomorrow, when Scott Richmond pitches against Detroit.

Still, manager Cito Gaston said he hasn't decided on the fifth starter and saw plenty of positives in Mills' performance.

"I still say it wasn't that bad at times," he said. "He gave up a lot of hits, but he hung in there. ... Whether (Mills) pitches up here (with the Jays) now, he will pitch up here soon."

The Jays also have bullpen issues to settle before the season starts Monday and yesterday they optioned reliever Jeremy Accardo to their Triple-A club in Las Vegas.

Accardo wouldn't comment on the demotion, but Gaston explained during batting practice that he just couldn't find a spot for the 27-year-old right-hander in his seven-man relief staff.

"That's the same bullpen that led the league in ERA (in 2008). How can you break it up unless somebody gets hurt?" Gaston said. "Those other guys haven't done anything to lose their job."

After elbow surgery sidelined B.J. Ryan in 2007, Accardo saved 30 games, but problems with his right forearm dogged him through most of 2008. He appeared in 16 games to mid-May, losing three games and winning none with a 6.57 ERA. He scattered 13 more minor-league appearances the rest of the summer before ending his season in August.

In 101/3 innings this spring, Accardo registered one save while striking out five and walking three.

Despite Accardo's 8.71 ERA, Gaston said he was pleased with the way he pitched. He seemed to have solved the forearm problems and Gaston said Accardo's fastball got as high as 94 miles per hour.

mcampbell @ thestar.ca