Phillies to honor Howard in regular-season finale

PHILADELPHIA -- After the Mets clinched a playoff berth and home field for the National League wild-card game on Saturday with a 5-3 victory over the Phillies, all eyes shift to longtime Phillies slugger Ryan Howard on Sunday afternoon.

Howard said he's not taking anything extra in right now and is only focused on playing baseball, but even his manager knows that's hardly likely.

"He says he's not but I think he's got to," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's just human nature. Tomorrow's going to be fun to watch."

Howard's two-run homer to tie the game in the fifth inning against the Mets on Saturday could be Howard's last. It moved him into 67th place on the career home run list list, tying him with Jim Rice and Frank Howard with 382.

"It was cool," Howard said. "Being able to hit the home run and tying the game up. Tried to spoil it for them a little bit today but they got us and you've gotta congratulate those guys because they've scratched and clawed."

Mackanin said he hopes his first baseman has just a little more left in him for what could be his final game in Phillies pinstripes.

"Hopefully he'll hit another one tomorrow," he said. "He's been swinging the bat well in the second half to have 25 home runs and almost 60 RBIs. He's been phenomenal."

The Phillies will celebrate Howard's career before the first pitch tomorrow, but the 36-year old first baseman says it's just another game.

"Tomorrow is Sunday," Howard said when asked about tomorrow's game. "I'm just going to show up. I'll definitely take it in. I think it'll be something cool."