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Ryan Howard to throw out first pitch in Game 4 of the NLCS

Howard follows Shane Victorino, Pat Burrell, and Matt Stairs who did the honors this postseason.

Former Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will throw out the first pitch on Saturday before Game 4.
Former Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard will throw out the first pitch on Saturday before Game 4.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Thirteen years after being named MVP of the National League Championship Series, Ryan Howard will return to Citizens Bank Park to throw the ceremonial first pitch Saturday night before Game 4, the Phillies announced Friday.

Howard, 42, hit 382 career homers, all for the Phillies, from 2004-16. He’s second on the franchise’s all-time homer list behind Mike Schmidt (548). In the 2009 NLCS, Howard went 5-for-15 with two homers and eight RBIs in the Phillies’ five-game triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His homer against former teammate Randy Wolf in the first inning of Game 4 opened an early lead in what turned out to be an improbable ninth-inning comeback on Jimmy Rollins’ two-run double. Howard will be the fourth member of the 2008 World Series championship team to throw a first pitch in this postseason.

Shane Victorino and Pat Burrell did the honors in Games 3 and 4, respectively, of the divisional round, while Matt Stairs was set to throw the first pitch Friday night before Game 3 of the NLCS.