April 27 -- HOWARD GOES DEEP

PITTSBURGH -- Finally.

It was only nine days and 30 at-bats, but it felt like forever since Ryan Howard had homered or, really, made any kind of productive contact. Howard was 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts (or 3-for-30 with 15 strikeouts, or 6-for-42 with 18 strikeouts) when he took Matt Morris deep toward my hotel (the arched building in the background of this picture) in the first inning last night. And while we're hardly ready to declare that Howard is out of his slump (he also struck out twice), the homer represented a step in the right direction.

So, maybe those two days off worked?

"In batting practice, the ball has been jumping off his bat," Charlie Manuel said. "It seemed like he stayed on the ball better. Against the lefty, it looked like he chased some bad pitches. If you notice, the home run was a little close to him. That's what he needs to do. He needs to let the ball get close to him. When you hear people say you should move closer to the plate to get the ball close to you, that's what you do. But we're only talking about a very small amount of space we want him to move. He'll get it. He's coming."

Said Howard, "It felt good. I ran the count a little deeper, and my swing felt good. I'll take a home run. But even with that aside, I felt better at the plate. A lot of it can be a snowball effect. All it takes is one day. You can take something positive from one day."

***

Kris Benson update: He suffered another setback yesterday in his first start in extended spring training, straining his right groin. The Phillies say they'll have a more complete update today.

***

Scott Mathieson update: He felt some discomfort in his elbow while long-tossing a few days ago, and he's scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Farm director Steve Noworyta said the Phillies don't think it's a serious setback, but when you're dealing with a pitcher who has had two elbow surgeries since September 2006, you can't be too careful.

***

Keep a close eye on the radar gun today. Manuel said Brett Myers' fastball hasn't been up to par during most of his five starts. Myers says he feels fine. He should be able to dominate the weak-hitting Pirates, especially if he can command his fastball. We'll see.

***

Here's a question for you: With the way Pat Burrell has been hitting, would you take him out of a game for defensive replacement in the late innings knowing that he may get another at-bat? Manuel said it's tough not to replace Burrell with a one-run lead, especially in big ballparks like PNC Park or Coors Field. At Citizens Bank Park, though, where the outfield is smaller, Manuel said you may see Burrell stay in games.

***

Within our MLB Sunday notes, Ian Snell talks about being a cornerstone of the perennially rebuilding Pirates. Plus, Jeff Conine has gone from baseball to triathlons.

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.