PHILADELPHIA -- The third-inning single that Ryan Howard ripped to right field on Friday gave him an eight-game hitting streak and a .290 batting average during that span.

Could the big guy be waking up?

"You're just looking for one thing to click, something to fall in, a seeing-eye single or a blooper or whatever," Howard said. "Right now, I don't know what it is ... as long as it just keeps going."

Though his batting average remains at .188, Howard has shown signs of the powerful swing that earned him an National League MVP Award in 2006. Two of his last three homers have been to left field, which means he's waiting on pitches longer and hitting them harder the other way.

Before the hitting streak began, Howard had seen progress, such as a rocket of a sacrifice fly off Arizona's Max Scherzer on May 5. He had other productive outs in that game, and he has been feeling better since.

"I'm trying," Howard said. "I'm still working all the kinks out."

Phillies fans began to show their displeasure with their $10 million slugger during his six games against the Padres and Giants. He hit .136 during the two series.

And Howard understands.

"I'm trying to do the best I can," Howard said. "You can't control it. Does it bother you? I think it does a little bit. You want to get the job done, and it doesn't help when the fans get on you. At the same time, that's what happens when you sign a permission slip to play in Philly. You know how the fans are. If you don't go out there and perform [well], you know how the fans are going to be."

Pitching matchup
PHI: RHP Adam Eaton (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
In his last start, Eaton's line against the Giants looked respectable -- two runs allowed in five innings -- only because San Francisco consistently left runners on base. The right-hander was mostly frustrated with walking five batters.

TOR: RHP A.J. Burnett (3-4, 4.94 ERA)
Burnett pitched the first game of a doubleheader against the Indians on Monday, and he wound up on the wrong end of a tight ballgame. He allowed three runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking three in a hard-luck 3-0 loss to Cleveland. Burnett is 4-7 with a 4.70 ERA in 15 career games against the Phillies.

Tidbits
Davey Lopes returned to coaching first base Friday. He returned to the team in mid April, nearly three weeks after prostate cancer surgery. He received a standing ovation when shown on the scoreboard during the seventh-inning stretch. ... Jamie Moyer won his 233rd career game on Friday, moving him into a tie with Charlie Buffington for 58th place on the all-time wins list. ... Toronto left fielder Kevin Mench, a Wilmington, Del., native, and former University of Delaware student, left Friday's game in the fourth inning with a bruised right knee. He is listed as day-to-day.

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Up next
• Sunday: Blue Jays (Shaun Marcum, 4-2, 2.22) at Phillies (Kyle Kendrick, 3-2, 4.87), 1:35 p.m. ET
• Monday: Phillies (Brett Myers, 2-4, 5.91) at Nationals (Tim Redding, 5-3, 3.55), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Phillies (Cole Hamels, 5-3, 2.89) at Nationals (TBD), 7:10 p.m. ET