Exhale, Phillies fans. Ryan Howard is OK.At least that's what he said after the Phillies fell back to .500 last night. If you missed it, Howard left in the ninth inning after diving awkwardly to stop a grounder by Alberto Callaspo and coming up grabbing his left hamstring. Two batters later, Howard was replaced at first base by Wes Helms.
It was the last thing the Phillies needed, especially after Howard missed two weeks with a left quad strain.
But Howard and Charlie Manuel said the apparent injury was simply a cramp. Once he was able to stretch his hamstring, the cramp disappeared. Howard said he expects to play tonight against Randy Johnson.
"My hamstring cramped up when I tried to get up and make the play," Howard said. "That's why I couldn't make an accurate throw [to pitcher Clay Condrey covering first]. Good play gone bad. My leg is fine. I just got up and tried to stretch it out. I'm sure everybody here has had a cramp at some time."
* In his first public comments since I spoke to him May 2 in Atlanta, Tom Gordon said he has no timetable for his return, although he's hoping it's before the All-Star Break.
* Kyle Drabek, the Phils' No. 1 pick last June, is on the disabled list with a tender right elbow, but the Phillies don't think it's more than tendinitis.
* Manuel made a bad decision to bring the infield in with the D-Backs leading 1-0 and one out in the second. Miguel Montero singled through the drawn-in infield, and after pitcher Micah Owings struck out, Jon Lieber gave up four straight two-out hits. If the infield is back, Montero may not get a hit, and the Phillies may get out of the inning with only a 1-0 deficit. Instead, it was 5-0. Big difference.
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