The image of Ryan Howard watching Brian Wilson's third strike to end the 2010 NLCS was etched into the memory of every disappointed Phillies fan last winter.

For Howard, somehow, the NLDS ended worse. Howard, who went hitless in his final 15 at-bats against the St. Louis Cardinals, believes he tore his left Achilles when he ran out of the batter's box to run out the final out of the 2011 season, a ground ball to second base.

Howard will have an MRI Saturday.

Here's what he had to say after the game:



"I hit the ball and I’d have to watch the tape. It felt like my bat came around and hit the back of my Achilles. I was trying to run and I just felt this pop. The whole thing just went numb, like it was on fire. Just tried to keep going and went down and literally felt like I was on a flat tire. I don’t know. I tried to get caught, and just couldn’t go."


Do you think it's torn?

"That’s what they think it may be. Get an MRI tomorrow and see and if so, then probably have surgery."


Was it a risk since you were playing on a bad left foot?

"It’s the playoffs man. No. I didn’t know. I think it might have been just one of those freak things where going out there on it, the way that it was…just didn’t really have any pain. Think it might have been one of those freak things. I think it was flexed when I was trying to come out of the box and the bat I think it hit. I’d have to watch the replay and kinda see. Just tried to go and it felt like there was a platform underneath my heel and just straight-up flat tire."


Tougher to hear Cardinals celebrating as you were down in pain?

"I mean I heard. I thought I hit the ball better than what it was. I thought the ball was in the outfield and had tripped and was trying to get up, but the adrenaline was trying to keep going and I kinda looked up and I saw Punto had the ball and was thrown it and I just couldn’t go. I heard. I couldn’t really feel anything in my ankle."