Franco figured he was ready to bust a slump
NEW YORK » Maikel Franco can’t promise when he will officially resume being a dependable hitter. He will, however, hint.
“I know it is coming,” the Phillies’ third baseman said before contributing a double and a home run to the Phillies’ 6-4 victory Thursday over the New York Mets. “This is not going to stay like this. I am seeing the ball really good. I make good contact most of the time, and I know something good is coming. It is coming around. No question.”
Franco entered the game on an 0-for-21 slide, extended it to 0-for-22 with a second-inning fly out, then drove a third-inning RBI double over the head of left fielder Yoenis Cespedes. He led off the eighth with his third home run of the season. Slump … busted? “Sometimes you get frustrated,” he said. “But if you are 0-for-10 or 0-for-12 and you hit the ball good, sometimes you have to forget that stuff and just get ready, every day, to improve.”
Pete Mackanin is expecting as much.
“Guys who struggle at first are not going to hit .150,” the manager said. “So it will all even out eventually, hopefully sooner than later.”
*** Aaron Nola threw five innings, allowing seven hits and four walks, striking out two. An early 5-1 Phillies lead became 5-4 when Nola allowed a three-run, third-inning home run to Neil Walker.
“I had terrible 0-2 pitches,” Nola said. “I had the 0-2 pitch to Walker, a curve ball that just hung up in the zone. It was too good of an 0-2 pitch.”
Nola improved to 2-0 on a night when Noah Syndergaard went seven and fanned 10.
“He’s a dominant pitcher,” Nola said. “And guys hit good tonight against him.” *** John Middleton, the multi-billionaire front man for Phillies ownership, did a rare interview on the club’s flagship radio Thursday.
“I’m intent on winning,” he told host Angelo Cataldi. “We are going to get that trophy back somehow, or I’m going to die trying. That’s how it’s going to be.”
*** NOTES » In a reversal of form, manager Pete Mackanin went with Hector Neris in the ninth, using Joaquin Benoit in the eighth. “I trust both of those guys,” he said. “I’ll probably use Neris again. But it’s nice that, when one guy is not available, the other guy is.” station, WIP, Neris registered his first save. … With the birth of his daughter Thursday, Pat Neshek took the second of a maximum three-day paternity leave. … Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 0.82 ERA) will face Atlanta righthander Bartolo Colon (1-1, 4.24) Friday at 7:05 at Citizens Bank Park. … In the spirit of the NFL Draft in Philadelphia fans wearing green Eagles apparel can purchase $14 tickets (Eagles own the 14th pick) to Phillies games against the Marlins next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.