WASHINGTON — It was a different experience for Ryan Howard, not that he’ll admit it. Instead of waiting to take practice swings and dig in to hit in the first inning, Howard sat quietly, waiting to see if the Phillies could spark a rally to get to his place in the order.
Starting the game in the No. 7 spot for the first time in nearly nine years, the Phillies’ star-crossed slugger downplayed his “demotion” of sorts. Instead of batting cleanup, which he has consistently throughout his career, Howard was at the bottom third in Ryne Sandberg’s lineup hoping to get going.
Actually, says Howard, batting seventh wasn’t all that different from batting fourth. He said he had no reaction when he saw his name on the lineup card.
“I didn’t really have a reaction. I understand. I’ve been in situations like this before, this isn't the first time I’ve got moved down in the lineup or anything like that,” Howard said after the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Nationals on Thursday night (see game recap). “You take it, you understand from a managerial standpoint you’re trying to do what it is to try to win and to try to put the best lineup out there to try to win. I get it.”
In his first crack in the No. 7 spot, Howard went 1 for 3 with a walk and two fly outs. Both the outs he made landed just short of the warning track, and when he came to bat in the fourth inning with two on, one out and first base open, the Nationals intentionally walked him.
Just like they would have if Howard was batting fourth.
“I felt good. I had four good ABs,” Howard said. “I hit two balls pretty good to left. Actually, just kind of missed the two balls to left, and then worked an intentional walk and got the base hit. I felt good.”
MLB
In explaining the move for Howard, manager Ryne Sandberg said part of the reason was to create some balance in the batting order. Often, teams could stack lefty relievers to face the heart of the Phillies’ order where Chase Utley and Howard — both lefties — hit back to back.
On Thursday, Sandberg had the right-handed hitting Jeff Francoeur batting behind Utley and lefty Cody Asche in the No. 5 hole. Righty Carlos Ruiz hit in front Howard with Darin Ruf in the eighth spot.
“I like the balance of it,” Sandberg said. “It didn’t totally produce tonight, but there’s some balance there.”
The lineup is balanced and it doesn’t seem like it will change in the near future. Still, Howard is hoping for that spark in the seventh spot to get himself going.
“For me, you just try to look at it as an internal challenge. Do I feel like I can hit fourth? Yeah, I know I can. But, you know, I think that’s one of the things you kind of look at as an internal challenge to get back to where you know you are,” Howard said. “I’m not worried about it, I’m not trying to look too far into it or anything like that. I take it for what it is. If I’m hitting in the seventh hole, I want to do the best I can that day.”
The Nationals have three more righties set up to face the Phillies this weekend, so Howard should be in there. Maybe he’ll finally get comfortable batting seventh.