CLEARWATER, Fla. — For the second straight afternoon, the top of the first inning for the Phillies began with a missed diving attempt by the rightfielder. But while Nick Williams shook it off Thursday, Aaron Altherr had to leave Friday's game after that half-inning with soreness in his left wrist.
Manager Pete Mackanin is unsure of the severity of Altherr's injury but said he's "anxious" to see how serious it is.
"I'm anxious to see what happened," Mackanin said after the Phils' frustrating 12-11 win (see game recap). "I can't say it looked real bad, but we'll see."
Altherr finished the top of the first but the wrist swelled and he wanted to have it checked out.
Flu spreading
It began with Steve Henderson and then was passed to Mike Schmidt, Charlie Manuel, Tyler Goeddel, Williams and now Ryan Howard. "We're calling it the Hendu flu," Mackanin said after the game.
Howard led off the second inning with a strikeout and ended it with a strikeout. In between, the Phillies scored seven runs. Howard appeared disoriented walking into the clubhouse after the top of the third inning, saying he was having trouble seeing.
"I'm not feeling too well right now but it's not because of the 'Hendu flu,'" Mackanin said after Friday's game. "It's because of the last two innings."
MLB
Eight runs allowed on six hits and five walks will do that to a skipper.