When Ryan Howard stroked a game winning home run against the Padres on Thursday night, fans had hoped he turned a corner. Well if he’s turned the corner he’s failed to let anyone else know. Since that home run he’s gone 0 for 9 with 6 strikeouts. These strikeouts are ugly ones too. He’s chasing balling in the dirt and others that are clearly out of the strike zone.

To make matters worse for former Rookie of the Year and MVP, his struggles have soured the fans, who now reign boos on Howard as he trots back to the dugout. This is something Howard has never experienced in his time in the big leagues, but it’s not helping the situation. I’m sure Pat Burrell can relay to Howard how unforgiving Philadelphia fans can be.

It’s not just the fans who are noticing it, as opposing teams are beginning to take advantage of Howard’s struggles. During Friday night’s game Chase Utley came to the plate with two outs and the go-ahead run on third base. Giants manager Bruce Bochy opted to intentionally walk Utley to pitch to Howard. In the past this type of scenario would be unheard of, as Howard is one of the most feared hitters in the league. In this case it paid off as Howard struck out, ending the inning.

Speaking of the strikeout, that’s a main source of concern for the Phillies. Howard as struck out 45 times on 112 at-bats. Simply stated, he’s struck out in 40% of his at bats. He set the Major League records for strikeouts last season with 199. This year he’s on pace to shatter it by 60-80 whiffs.

The Phillies are still finding a way to win despite Howard not contributing, but at some point, his lack of production will haunt them, so it needs to be addressed.

Everyone has their own theories on what is wrong with Howard. I’ve heard people say it’s because he’s worried about the future and not having a long-term deal. Others have said he simply doesn’t play well in cold weather. His month by month stats have shown as the season progresses the better he gets. Some say it’s that pitchers have figured him out. They know he’ll chase pitches, so they can get away with throwing junk on the corners because Howard will take a cut at it.

I’m no psychiatrist, but I have my own theory on Howard’s troubles. It’s 10% mechanics and 90% mental. When Howard started the season there was an obvious hitch in his swing. He’s spent time with Charlie Manuel and Milt Thompson to correct this. Unfortunately while he’s worked to correct this, he’s had the pressure on him to perform in the game. That’s caused him to push himself, which in-tern has caused a tailspin.

The best bet for Howard at this point might be to take some batting practice but take a day or two off from the games. Let him clear his head and get back to basics. Howard has a ton of natural ability when it comes to hitting. If he stops thinking about hitting and just uses his instincts, he’ll be raking the ball out of Citizens Bank Park.

Personally I’d start by giving him a day off today. With Tim Linecum starting for the Giants, an ice cold Howard will be facing one of the hottest pitchers in all of baseball. Sunday might need to be Howard’s day of rest.