PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard swung and stumbled, belly flopped onto the dirt, then hobbled a step or two before he crumpled to the ground in pain. He sat with his head down while a swarm of St. Louis Cardinals buzzed past him and celebrated their clinching win in a 2011 National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.
With one final swing of the season, Howard and the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies went down in a heap.
Howard, the once-feared slugger and 2006 NL MVP, never regained his 40-homer, 100-RBI form.
Those Phillies never recovered their postseason greatness, either.
For 11 years, Howard's groundout in the final at-bat of Philadelphia's season served as a flashpoint for a franchise that briefly ruled the NL East Division, only to fall into a chasm of bad baseball and meaningless Septembers. The Phillies' run of five straight postseason appearances — which included winning the 2008 World Series and the 2009 NL pennant — ended with Howard needing help off the field after a 1-0 loss to Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals, who went on to win the 2011 World Series in seven games against the Texas Rangers.
Howard's injury in a way became symbolic for a team that limped through most of the past decade with dwindling fan support, the wrong managers, incompatible rosters and wide-open calendars in October.
Well, look who's back in Philly.
About 4,025 days later, the Phillies are indeed home for a playoff game when they face the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their NLDS on Friday. It's certainly been a long time — their big slugger now, two-time MVP Bryce Harper, hadn't even made his MLB debut when Howard tumbled.
The best-of-five series hits town tied after the Phillies held on for a 7-6 win in Tuesday's opener and the Braves bounced back for a 3-0 win Wednesday, and Citizens Bank Park has undergone a worthy postseason makeover. The playoff logos were painted on the field and bunting wafted from the concourse. Concession stand signs advertised Red October punch — $15.99 for a concoction of vodka, lemonade and juices — and even Howard was represented with a chicken sandwich named the Big Piece, in honor of his nickname, that comes served on a sweet Hawaiian bun.
Did someone say Hawaiian?
Shane Victorino, better known as the Flyin' Hawaiian and a key cog on those championship teams, will throw the first pitch Friday before the hosts take on the reigning World Series champions who have won five straight NL East titles.
The Phillies, though, don't want to live in the past. The present has been pretty good for this wild-card team that earned a two-game sweep against NL Central champ St. Louis this past weekend in the opening round of the playoffs and continued its road success in Game 1 of the NLDS at Truist Park.
In a faint link to the glory days, Aaron Nola gets the Game 3 start. He is the longest-tenured player on Philadelphia's roster and made his debut in 2015, when Howard, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz wound down their tenures with the club.
What did they tell Nola about the playoff atmosphere in Philly?
"They said it's something special," Nola said Thursday.
The Braves, who won Game 2 behind six scoreless innings from Kyle Wright, did not name a starter for Game 3. However, they are expected to send a right-hander to the mound — either 38-year-old Charlie Morton (9-6, 4.34), a veteran of the postseason with multiple teams, or rookie Spencer Strider (11-5, 2.67), who hasn't pitched since Sept. 18 because of an oblique injury.
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Thursday the final decision would come down to how best to use Strider for the first time in a month.
"We're going to use him," Snitker said. "That's probably the biggest discussion, is how we're going to use this kid for our best advantage, really."
Strider, who turns 24 this month, signed a $75 million, six-year contract on Monday after just 33 appearances in the majors. The first pitcher in MLB history to record at least 200 strikeouts while allowing fewer than 100 hits, he opened the season as a reliever but solidified Atlanta's rotation down the stretch.
"He wants to pitch. He would pitch today if we let him," Snitker said. "But he feels good and wants to be a part (of it), which is great. That's what makes him good. But we're confident. I think physically he's where he needs to be."
Snitker also said right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. should be fine after he was plunked near the right elbow on a 96 mph fastball from Zack Wheeler that rode up and in during Wednesday's game. There was a delay of several minutes while Acuña, writhing in pain, was checked out by the training staff.
The punchless Phillies are looking for anything out of their big bats after the shutout. NL home run champion Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins are 1-for-34 in the playoffs, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he will not move them from their 1-2 spots in the lineup.
"I think Hoskins is getting close. He's starting to loft a lot of balls and square up balls," Thomson said. "He's just not squaring them up enough. Schwarb is caught in between a little bit. He's just maybe trying to do a little too much. Maybe a day off helps those guys a lot."
Maybe a home game will help, too. The Phillies ended the regular season on a 10-game road trip and then played their first three playoff matchups on the road — a span since Sept. 25 that included two rowdy clubhouse champagne celebrations.
"I don't think I've done laundry in a month," outfielder Brandon Marsh said.
The home game will be worth the wait — since September, since 2011 — if the Phillies can win two games and wrap up the series without having to go back to Atlanta.
Snitker said the Braves were ready for a "so-called hostile environment." Phillies fans are ready to show them what a packed house in October is all about.
"They've been off for a few years now on playoff baseball," Thomson said, "and I think they'll be raring to go."