Carpenter, 23, was pitching as a starter at Class AA Reading and was demoted earlier this season to Class A Clearwater after coming into spring training overweight. After a 17-win season in 2007 for Clearwater and a memorable three-inning relief stint against the Yankees during spring training, Carpenter had fallen into the organization's doghouse.

But Carpenter's last five starts for Reading were strong. He went 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA, and with his turn in the rotation upcoming, the Phillies decided he could provide short-term relief for their fatigued bullpen.

And, in his major league debut Wednesday night, Carpenter acquitted himself well.

With the Phils trailing 6-3 in the ninth inning and the top of the Mets' lineup coming to the plate, he yielded a leadoff single by Jose Reyes. After Luis Castillo dropped a sacrifice bunt, Carpenter recorded his first major league strikeout against David Wright. He intentionally walked Carlos Delgado, who had two home runs in the game, then got Carlos Beltran to fly to left field.

"It's really exciting," Carpenter said of getting his first major league call-up. "This is what I have been working for my whole life. This is what I've wanted to do my whole life."

Carpenter is 6-8 with a 5.67 ERA in 16 starts for Reading. He went 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA at Clearwater.

To create a roster spot for Carpenter, the Phillies returned infielder Andy Tracy to Class AAA Lehigh Valley. They also moved lefty reliever Mike Zagurski to the 60-day disabled list and added Carpenter to the 40-man roster.

METS 6, PHILLIES 3: Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth hit home runs, but the Phillies bullpen faltered Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Rudy Seanez and closer Brad Lidge combined to allow four runs in the eighth inning as the Phillies blew a 3-2 lead. With the loss, the Phillies slipped back into second place in the NL East, a half-game behind the Mets. Kyle Kendrick allowed two runs in six innings. Howard belted a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Phillies an early lead. The Phillies finished their nine-game homestand against the Nationals, Dodgers and Mets with a 7-2 record.