Could one at-bat jump-start a season? And what about the possibilities once he gets hot, Jimmy Rollins returns, and both join Chase Utley and Pat Burrell in the Phillies' lineup?

Howard hit the game-winning homer to right field in the eighth inning of a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. Adam Eaton allowed two runs in six innings, and Brad Lidge picked up his seventh save.

The win put the Phillies in first place in the National League East, a place they didn't occupy by themselves last year until Game No. 160.

"I'm seeing the ball better," said Howard, who also doubled and scored in the third inning to go 2 for 4 with two RBIs. "But to be able to come through in a situation like that, it only makes it that much better.

"When you're not seeing the ball, everything is tough. You don't feel good at all, and everything is just wrong. Now I'm starting to kind of see it, and I'm putting some good passes on it. Hopefully, the results will start to change a little bit."

Manager Charlie Manuel said Howard, who is hitting .184 with six homers and 14 RBIs, has been making strides in recent days. He liked the way Howard hit the ball to left-center field in batting practice last weekend in Pittsburgh. Howard homered Saturday against the Pirates. He was jammed twice Sunday in Pittsburgh, but Manuel said, "I wasn't worried about that because it showed me he was staying on the ball and following it."

In the series opener against the Padres on Tuesday, Howard ripped the ball to right-center field. Jerry Hairston caught it, probably because he was playing ridiculously deep in center. Howard then lined out to left and to right in Wednesday's loss.

Hard-hit balls.

Caught each time.

"He's eventually going to get hot, and maybe this is the start of it," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's just too good of a player to be kept down too long."

Howard is a slow starter. He entered last night a career .283 hitter, but just .230 in April. But he has hit .259 in May, .280 in June, .294 in July, .307 in August, and .308 in September and October.

Maybe the big guy is heating up.

"Toward the end of April, I was starting to get better swings," Howard said. "It's a fresh start. It's a new month."