Howard, coming off his first multihit effort in his last nine games, will look to lead the surging Phillies to their sixth win in eight games on Friday when they open a three-game set with the visiting San Francisco Giants.

Philadelphia (16-13) has received outstanding production from second baseman Chase Utley, who has a major league-best 11 homers, and right fielder Pat Burrell, one of the NL's leaders with 26 RBIs.

But 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins has been sidelined since April 8 with an ankle injury, and of greater concern to the Phillies has been the slump of 2006 MVP Ryan Howard.

Howard began Thursday hitting just .172, but he had two extra-base hits - including a tiebreaking eighth-inning homer - to lead Philadelphia to a 3-2 win over San Diego.

"When you're not seeing it, everything is tough," Howard told the Phillies' official Web site. "You don't feel good at all. Now, I'm starting to see it and I've been able to put some pretty good at-bats together. I want to keep putting them together."

Howard's difficult starts have been well-documented, but he typically gets better as the year progresses. A .230 career hitter before May, Howard's average gets higher each month - save for a small dip from .307 to .302 from August to September - before topping out with .462 in October.

Aside from the Phillies' powerful offense, which leads the majors with 42 home runs, the team's bullpen has been particularly impressive. Philadelphia relievers have a 2.56 ERA, best in the NL, and closer Brad Lidge picked up his seventh save without yielding an earned run on Thursday.

"The bullpen has been outstanding," said starter Adam Eaton, who pitched six innings. "They're definitely holding their own and need to be recognized as one of the better bullpens in the majors."

The Phillies will hand the ball to 23-year-old Kyle Kendrick (2-2, 5.13 ERA) on Friday. Kendrick went seven innings on Saturday, allowing four runs in picking up an 8-4 win over the Pirates.

San Francisco (13-16) is heading east to begin a six-game trip in Pennsylvania before returning home for a 10-game set that starts with a visit from the Phillies.

For a team that expected to finish in last place in the NL West - and one that started 1-6 - the Giants appear pleased with their 12-10 finish to April, capped with a 3-2 win over Colorado on Wednesday.

"Everybody in this clubhouse expects us to make the playoffs. That's what we come in here every day to do," said outfielder Aaron Rowand, who is second on the team with 14 RBIs. "Being as young as we are, I think this month was a good month in the fact that the guys are finding themselves, finding their strides, coming together as a team."

San Francisco's pitching staff, however, is in some disarray despite only yielding five runs in three games to the Rockies. The ineffective Barry Zito was recently sent to the bullpen, and with Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia injured, Pat Misch (0-0, 3.00) will face the Phillies on Friday.

Misch's lone appearance this season came in relief of Zito last Sunday, when the left-hander allowed eight runs to Cincinnati in three innings. Misch allowed two runs in the final six innings of a 10-1 loss.