Is this the beginning of the Ryan Howard hot streak I was talking about?

Written by Mike Mariano | 15 August 2009

It seems like every time that I write about the Phillies in the second half, I talk about Ryan Howard.  And justifiably so.  The past two seasons he’s turned into the Hulk down the stretch and put up absurd statistics.  Thus far into the season he’s got me wonderful when or even if that’s going to happen again.

Ryan hasn’t be setting the league ablaze thus far in the second half and set a career high in consecutive at-bats without a home run.  That all changed two nights ago when he homered and broke the game open against the Cubbies.  Last night he bopped another, this time in the top of the night which ended up being the game winner over the Braves.  In his last three games, including last night, he’s 4-10 with two homers and a triple.  Very, very small sample size, I know, but these are the sort of games that can set a guy’s confidence in the right direction and jump start some strong play.

Maybe this is finally the time for Howard to go Hulk again and carry this team once more?