Pete Mackanin: 'Respect Ryan Howard, But Have To Try To Win Game'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Bases loaded, nobody out. The Phillies were trailing the San Diego Padres 3-2, looking to take the lead in Monday's home opener at Citizens Bank Park.

Once-upon-a-time iconic slugger Ryan Howard was coming to the plate.

Now, the 36-year-old first baseman is a liability against lefties, so when Padres left-handed reliever Brad Hand replaced their starting righty Andrew Cashner, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin pinch-hit Darin Ruf for Howard.

"It's hard for me to do it, to platoon him," Mackanin admitted Wednesday to Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show. "I don't like doing it, but I've got to keep everybody -- I'm trying to win the game. I felt that I've got a guy who has an outstanding record against left-handed pitchers and I have a chance to blow the game wide open and give us a big lead. I gotta try to win the game. The fans, I know they respect Howard, so do I, but if I think that I've got a better option to try to win a game for the fans I've gotta do it."

Listen: Pete Mackanin on the 94WIP Morning Show

Ruf, of course, hit a fly ball into shallow left-field that was controversially ruled an infield fly. While the Phillies tied the game, it cost them two outs, and they eventually lost 4-3.

"I can't explain it," Mackanin said of the infield fly call on Monday. "I didn't like the call. I didn't think that it was ordinary effort for the infielder to catch that ball, but when it's an umpire's judgement call there's not a whole lot you can do about it."