Blue Jays, Phillies fit to be tied

CLEARWATER, Florida — Maikel Franco hit his eighth home run of the spring for the Philadelphia Phillies in their 4-4 tie with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Franco entered the game leading all major-league players this spring with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 17 exhibition games.

The 23-year-old, a National League Rookie of the Year candidate before breaking his left hand in August, hit 14 home runs in 80 games with the Phillies last season.

“Hurry up and get to April,” joked Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson, whose pitch broke Franco’s hand. He was pitching for the Diamondbacks. “I don’t think he’ll stop, but we need to hurry up and get there.”

The right-hander walked three and struck out four in his next to last start of the spring for the Phillies.

Marco Estrada gave up the Franco home run, while striking out six and walking two in 3 2⁄3 innings. The homer came off a 1-2 cutter.

A half inning after Franco’s home run broke a scoreless tie, Hellickson served up a two-run home run to Casey Kotchman.

“It wasn’t where I wanted, but it was still out of the zone,” said Hellickson, who played with Kotchman in Tampa Bay in 2011.

“He’s a good hitter. He can catch up to that. I just missed my spot.” • In Peoria, Arizona, Felix Hernandez threw six scoreless innings and Leonys Martin hit a walk-off solo home run in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Hernandez allowed five hits, struck out three and retired the White Sox in order over his final two innings. The Mariners’ ace has one more scheduled spring start before pitching on opening day.