Phils beat Red Sox, but Rollins hurt

Just about nothing could ruin this night for the Phillies. Ryan Howard was hitting balls to the opposite field. Jayson Werth crushed an upper-deck home run to left field. Cole Hamels worked in and out of deep counts, possessing a dominance rarely seen on a consistent basis since 2008.

Then Jimmy Rollins came up limping while running to first base in the sixth inning.

The Phillies beat Boston, 5-1, on Friday. But it was the scene of Rollins immediately taking himself out of the game as manager Charlie Manuel ran onto the field that will be remembered.

It almost was worse: The Phillies' bullpen made the game interesting in the ninth until David Ortiz flied out to the warning track in center with the bases loaded to end the game. J.C. Romero earned the save, his second of the season.

Concern then immediately shifted to Rollins.

"It was a big win, but at the same time, we didn't want to lose J-Roll," Manuel said. "We need him in our lineup, of course. We need him playing."

Rollins missed 30 games with a strained right calf, the same injury he suffered Friday night. But he said he doesn't believe this one is as serious as the first.

"Not at all," he said. "This is a good thing. We'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Rollins said the plan is to rest the calf for now, but if it does not improve, the Phillies could send him for an MRI test Monday.

Manuel had eased Rollins back into the lineup since his return Monday, batting him lower in the order: third, fifth and sixth. Before Friday's game, Manuel said the timing was just right for Rollins to return to his normal spot in the lineup, leadoff batter.

Just like that, Rollins was back in the trainer's room.

Rollins limping off the field was a sight the Phillies knew was all too possible - calf injuries can be tricky, with the rate of recurrence much higher than others. Considering Rollins is a player who relies heavily on his legs, the Phillies said they made sure to take extra caution in bringing him back.

The injury cast gloom over what was an impressive victory.

Hamels pitched what was arguably his best outing of 2010. He allowed just four baserunners in seven innings - three hits and one walk - while striking out eight.

Early in the game, Hamels needed deep counts to retire the Boston hitters, something the lefthander has struggled with of late. He threw 62 pitches in the first three innings. But he overcame the patient Red Sox and developed a frenetic pace in the later innings, finishing with 116 pitches.

Howard and Werth provided the necessary offense. Howard hit a solo shot to left field in the third off Boston starter John Lackey. He scored on Werth's two-run home run in the fifth.

But an inning later, when Rollins limped off the field, a hush fell over the sellout crowd, dreading what could be next for the Phillies shortstop.

Both Shane Victorino and Greg Dobbs played through nagging calf injuries in the last two seasons, something Rollins may have to deal with in 2010.

"It could be," Rollins said. "But if I just miss one or two days here because it's hanging around, it's better than missing two straight weeks."