PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Francisco Rodriguez and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training.A six-time All-Star closer, K-Rod ranks fourth on the career list with 437 saves, including the single-season record of 62 in 2008 for the Angels. But the 36-year-old right-hander is coming off his worst season in the majors. He had a 7.82 ERA in 28 appearances with Detroit last year.Rodriguez was 44 for 49 in save chances just two years ago. He gives Philadelphia another option in the late innings along with Hector Neris and Pat Neshek.Rodriguez has a 2.86 career ERA in 948 games with 1,142 strikeouts in 976 innings. The Phillies are his sixth team in 17 seasons.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillies have signed six-time All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.K-Rod ranks fourth on the career list with 437 saves, including the single-season record of 62 in 2008 for the Angels. But the 36-year-old right-hander is coming off his worst season in the majors. He had a 7.82 ERA in 28 appearances with Detroit last season.Rodriguez was 44 for 49 in save chances just two years ago. He gives Philadelphia another option in the late innings along with Hector Neris and Pat Neshek.Rodriguez has a 2.86 career ERA in 948 games with 1,142 strikeouts in 976 innings. The Phillies are his sixth team in 17 seasons.

RHP Hector Neris recorded his 20th consecutive save on Wednesday night, and his 26th of the season, throwing a perfect 9th inning in a 7-5 win over Washington. It's the most consecutive converted saves in one season for a Phillies reliever since Brad Lidge went 41-for-41 back in 2008. Since his last blown save (June 21), Neris is 2-3 with 20 saves and a 2.55 ERA. "Neris has that filthy split going now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "He didn't have it all year, but the second half he's started throwing it, and it's really tough to hit it. It dives out of the strike zone. It's good to see him doing that."

RHP Hector Neris was masterful in his one inning Tuesday night in a 4-1 Phillies victory. Neris struck out the side on 18 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning, converting his 19th save in a row. Neris' streak is the second-longest active streak in the majors.

RHP Hector Neris allowed a solo home run but still registered his 22nd save in Philadelphia's 4-3 win Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Neris, who struck out the side in the ninth, has converted 16 consecutive save opportunities since June 28

RHP Hector Neris locked down save No. 16 Sunday when the Phillies beat the Cubs, 6-3. Neris has converted each of his last 10 save opportunities since June 28, posting a 2.73 ERA with 26 strikeouts in that span.

RHP Hector Neris earned his 13th save Wednesday. Neris worked around a walk to preserve a 3-2 victory. He is 7-for-7 in save opportunities since June 28 and has a 1.83 ERA in 18 games since.

RHP Hector Neris had trouble locating Sunday and the result was a blown save, Neris recorded his second blown save in a 5-4 Phillies loss to Arizona. Neris walked the first batter he faced and then gave up back-to-back singles to blow a one-run Phillies lead. His ERA jumped to 3.68.

RHP Hector Neris, who couldn't get through the ninth inning on Tueseday against the Braves, has been moved out of the closer role as the Phillies try to get him back on track. "We've got to figure out what's wrong with his split. It was unhittable last year," manager Pete Mackanin said. Neris is 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 27 appearances, going 5-for-6 in save opportunities.

RHP Hector Neris recorded a season-high three strikeouts in one inning of work. He has also recorfded at least one strikeout in 16 of his 21 appearances this season (21 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings).

RHP Hector Neris earned a win for the Phillies Sunday, pitching two perfect innings of relief at the perfect time, helping the Phillies to a 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals in 10 innings. Neris, who improved to 1-1, struck out one batter. Lately, he's gotten away from his out pitch, his splitter. But Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said Neris, who has made three consecutive scoreless appearances, is moving in the right direction.

RHP Hector Neris called it a bad day. Neris gave up consecutive home runs to RF Yasiel Puig, OF Cody Bellinger and PH Justin Turner in the ninth inning of the Phillies' loss to the Dodgers Saturday. Overall, Neris was charged with four runs on four hits in a third of an inning.

RHP Hector Neris pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and notched his third save of 2017 in a victory Thursday. Since becoming Philadelphia's de facto closer last week, Neris had allowed a run and multiple hits in all three of his previous appearances. Thursday dropped his WHIP back below one, at 0.97, and lowered his ERA to 2.19 on the year.

RHP Hector Neris notched his second save in as many days in a 4-3 Phillies win Friday, but it didn't come easy. Neris allowed a leadoff home run to Atlanta's Adonis Garcia before a 24-minute rain interrupted. Neris came back out, got two quick outs, allowed to singles and finally struck out Braves catcher Tyler Flowers to end the game. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game he wasn't naming anyone a starter, but right now Neris is the guy in Philadelphia.

RHP Hector Neris worked himself into the closer conversation with the Phillies on Thursday night, when he earned his first save of the season by throwing a perfect ninth inning to close out a 6-4 win over the Mets. Each of Neris' first seven appearances this season came in the seventh or eighth inning. Manager Pete Mackanin said he didn't want to say he was employing a closer by committee but added he feels comfortable with either Neris or RHP Joaquin Benoit pitching the ninth inning in a save situation. The save was the third of Neris' career. He has allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out nine over 8 1/3 shutout innings this season.

RHP Hector Neris was a highlight in a bullpen that struggled massively in September. He is the fourth reliever to get 100 strikeouts in a season, matching the feat set by Dick Selma (153, 1970), Jake Diekman (100, 2014 and Al Holland 100, 1983). He had a 2.58 ERA in 79 appearances, though he posted a 5.25 ERA in his last 12 outings.

RHP Hector Neris, the Phillies' set-up man, has fashioned a 1.13 ERA over his last 31 appearances out of the bullpen, and it is widely believed he will one day be the team's closer. Manager Pete Mackanin said he has no intentions at present to have Neris flip-flop roles in the closing weeks of the season with Jeanmar Gomez, who has converted 34 of 38 save opportunities. "It's something to think about," Mackanin said, "but I don't want to do that, because Jeanmar has earned the right to be called the closer, as good as he's done."

RHP Hector Neris has begun to regain the form he flashed early in the season, when he emerged as one of baseball's best set-up men. He has assembled a string of eight scoreless innings, after yielding eight earned runs over his previous 6 1/3 innings, an ERA of 11.37. "We backed off him a little bit and then with the All-Star break it cleared his head, I think," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Every outing got a little better to where his confidence is back."

RHP Hector Neris, who emerged as a standout setup man in the first two months of the season, has allowed eight earned runs over his last eight appearances, a span of 6 1/3 innings, swelling his ERA from 1.29 to 3.15. While the Phillies coaching staff is still trying to get to the heart of the problem, manager Pete Mackanin believes Neris, who surrendered three runs in two-thirds of an inning in Wednesday's loss to Toronto, has lowered his arm angle. That in turn has caused his best pitch, a split-fingered fastball, to flatten out. "Sometimes it looks more like a slider from the side," Mackanin said. "It doesn't have that depth that it had." Neris said after Wednesday's game that his arm feels fine. His confidence might be another matter, however, which is why Mackanin does not plan to use him as often in high-leverage situations for the time being. "Everybody has a bad time," Neris said after Wednesday's game. "The point is, be back -- be focused and do your job and come back the next day, because this day is past. Tomorrow is a new day."

RHP Hector Neris pitched a scoreless eighth inning in relief Sunday. Neris has not allowed a run over his last seven appearances. It is his second scoreless streak of seven or more innings this season.