PHILADELPHIA >> Ryan Howard took a mighty cut, paused to admire his blast and watched the ball sail over the fence for the first time this season.

Those home runs sure don’t come easy anymore for the big slugger.

Howard hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Freddy Galvis also connected to back Jerome Williams, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 Tuesday night.

"It feels good," Howard said. "That’s baseball. Sometimes the wind’s blowing in, sometimes the wind’s blowing out. You keep swinging, and they’ll go. They’ll do what they’re supposed to do."

Williams (1-1) allowed three runs — two earned — and eight hits, striking out six in six innings.

The slumping Marlins lost their fifth straight game, falling to 3-11. Manager Mike Redmond didn’t get an endorsement from owner Jeffrey Loria after meeting with him and general manager Dan Jennings before the game.

Miami starter Dan Haren (1-1) gave up four runs and four hits in six innings. Giancarlo Stanton hit a 453-foot homer for the Marlins.

"I made a couple mistakes and the few I made I didn’t get away with, that’s for sure," Haren said.

Howard has been dropped from his regular spot in the lineup as the cleanup hitter to sixth or seventh. He’s batting .209 with 16 strikeouts.

"I’m going up there and trying to have good at-bats," he said. "Hopefully it does turn it on, but we’ll see. I’m just going to continue to try to have the same approach I had tonight and go from there."