Mar. 19 -- HOWARD, BLANTON, LIDGE & A VIDEO

BY SCOTT LAUBER

JUPITER, Fla. -- Wrapping up a Thursday here on Florida's Atlantic coast:

-Ryan Howard lined an RBI double to left field, a sure sign he's swinging the bat well, according to hitting coach Milt Thompson. Admit it, Phillies fans: You're relieved Howard decided not to play in the World Baseball Classic.

-Joe Blanton allowed only one hit in six scoreless innings. Most impressive, though, was that he didn't throw more than four balls in any inning.

-Brad Lidge threw a scoreless inning and retired both Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in his most strenuous test yet.

And then, there was Jason Donald's headfirst slide into home plate. Charlie Manuel wasn't a fan. We haven't done a video in a while, so I figured we'd throw one up here and discuss Donald's play. Talk to you tomorrow.