PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howards farewell game with the Philadelphia Phillies ended with a win.Cesar Hernandez hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the playoff-bound New York Mets 5-2 on Sunday.Howard, the last player remaining from the 2008 World Series championship team, was honored in a pregame ceremony. The Phillies are planning to pay Howard a $10 million buyout instead of exercising a $23 million club option for 2017.Howard, who turns 37 next month, thanked fans and the organization and saluted teammates in an emotional speech. The 2006 NL MVP choked up a few times and fought back tears when he told the crowd: My family has grown with all of you.Howard was 0 for 4, but received several standing ovations and got a curtain call after popping out in the eighth. He finished the season with a .196 batting average and hit 25 homers, tying Maikel Franco for the team lead.Howard got a final ovation after Tommy Joseph replaced him to start the ninth. He embraced Joseph near first base while Phillies and Mets players clapped. Howard then walked through the dugout and hugged everyone before coming out to wave to fans.The defending NL champion Mets clinched the top wild-card spot on Saturday and will play either the Giants or Cardinals at Citi Field on Wednesday.Manager Terry Collins gave most of his regulars a day off and ace Noah Syndergaard was pushed back to start the wild-card game.Mets starter Gabriel Ynoa allowed one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Defensive miscues cost New York in the seventh.Andres Blanco started the inning against Erik Goeddel (2-2) with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored the tying run on a double error by first baseman Lucas Duda, who bted pinch-hitter Cody Asches grounder and then threw it wild to first.Hernandez ripped a single to right to make it 3-2 and Jimmy Paredes followed with a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 lead.Franco was 4 for 4, including an RBI single in the third that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.Colton Murray (1-1) pitched one inning in relief of Jerad Eickhoff to earn his first career win despite allowing a run. Hector Neris finished for his second save.The Mets tk a 2-1 lead in the seventh when Kevin Plawecki lined a double to right-center. The ball initially froze center fielder Odubel Herrera, who couldnt recover in time to track it down.Matt Reynolds hit a double with two outs in the sixth and scored on Alejandro De Azas single to tie it at 1-1.ONTO THE NEXT ONEThe Mets have won at least one series in each of their last four trips to the postseason.STARTING TIMEEickhoff gave up one run and four hits, striking out eight in six innings. He finished the season 11-14 with a 3.65 ERA.BABY STEPSThe Phillies improved their win total from 63 in 2015 to 71. They have missed the postseason five straight seasons after winning the NL East title five consecutive years from 2007-11.UP NEXTSyndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA) was 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA in four postseason appearances last year, including three starts. Garrett Richards Padres Jersey . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Jose Pirela Padres Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. http://www.padressale.com/padres-johnny-manziel-jersey/ . PAUL, Minn. Aaron Loup Jersey . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrk and with the free agent departure of sharpshter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Franmil Reyes Padres Jersey .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamlps Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. LONDON -- Rod Laver figured Novak Djokovic might very well be the player, and this might very well be the year, that would finally end his distinction as the last man to win a calendar-year Grand Slam.Its a tough road, Laver said Saturday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his home in California. Certainly, I thought he could be the guy to do it.Laver tuned in on TV to see some of the match that ended Djokovics bid, a 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Sam Querrey of the United States in the third round of Wimbledon.Winning all four major tennis tournaments -- the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open -- in a single season has only been accomplished by two men. Don Budge, an American, did it in 1938, and Laver, an Australian, pulled it off twice, in 1962 as an amateur and in 1969 as a professional.Djokovic came to the All England Club after collecting four consecutive major titles, something no man had achieved since Laver all those years ago. But Djokovic did it over the past two seasons, not all in one.So the Serb was halfway to the true Grand Slam.When he won the French Open, I thought: `Wimbledon, hes won it twice in a row, why wouldnt he come in confident and be able to win again? So I put him down as the favorite to win Wimbledon, Laver said. And then its a matter of controlling nerves and being healthy when you get to the last one.dddddddddddds he watched the match against Querrey, Laver said, he was struck by Djokovics lower-than-usual level of play.I dont know whether it was the pressure or whether he wasnt feeling up to power. I dont know what his situation was health-wise, but it didnt lk like he was ready to play a big match. The rain didnt help. But he wasnt playing his best tennis, and Querrey kept the pressure on with that serve.Laver was particularly caught off-guard by the way Djokovic meekly fell into a two-set deficit before play was halted Friday night because of rain.He lked like he was hardly trying, Laver said. I was a little critical of his second set.Laver said he was impressed by Querreys play and wonders whether this could springboard the American to bigger things.Querrey, 28, never has been to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament.Hes gone and taken himself to another level. When you start beating the No. 1 player, you jump into another level and maybe his confidence will start to soar and drive him into a lot of new things.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '