|
 "You kind of have a little banter back and forth: 'When's the last
time he hit a home run?'" Mackanin said. "Or, 'He hasn't hit a home
run in a while' -- kind of like putting it on him."
Franco then put the ball in the seats.
His grand slam off reliever Joel Peralta snapped a 1-1 tie and
propelled the Phillies to a 6-2 victory.
Franco's slam was the first of his career and the second by a
Phillies player this season. It was also the first by a Phillies
rookie since Ryan Howard hit one against the Atlanta Braves on Sept.
21, 2005. While Franco has otherwise been productive, it was just
his second homer in his past 33 games.
"It's amazing for me," he said.
Franco's heroics propelled Philadelphia to its 13th victory in 16
games since the All-Star break. The Phillies, owners of the best
record in baseball in that stretch, nonetheless have the worst
overall mark, 42-65.
The National League West-leading Dodgers saw their four-game winning
streak end, and their division lead was sliced to two games over the
San Francisco Giants.
The game marked the return to Philadelphia of Los Angeles shortstop
Jimmy Rollins, who spent 15 years with the Phillies. Rollins,
cheered lustily before the game and accorded a standing ovation
before he hit in the first inning, went 2-for-5 and committed an
error.
"It was cool," he said of the ovation. "I really appreciated it. It
continued longer than I thought. It was a great moment."
Phillies starting pitcher Jerome Williams agreed.
"Jimmy is Philly," he said. "The years he's been here, he's done
amazing things. He's forever a Phillie."
With the score tied 1-1, Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz led off
the seventh with a single off Alex Wood (7-7). Pinch hitter Domonic
Brown then grounded to second baseman Howie Kendrick, who attempted
to tag Ruiz, only to see the runner stop in his tracks.
Kendrick threw to first to retire Brown, but Ruiz beat the throw to
second by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Wood intentionally walked second baseman Cesar Hernandez, and as he
attempted to deliver a 3-2 pitch to center fielder Odubel Herrera,
the ball slipped out of his hand. Ruiz came around to score before
the ball could be recovered. After a conference, the umpires ruled a
balk, leaving runners at second and third.
Herrera then walked to load the bases.
"If the ball crosses the foul line, it's a pitch," Mackanin said.
"Because it didn't cross the foul line, it's a balk. The runners
advance, but the ball's dead. ... I don't think I've ever seen that
before, but as it turned out, it worked out best for us with
Franco's home run."
Peralta replaced Wood, and Franco hit a 1-1 curveball into the seats
in left field for his 12th homer of the season.
"I tried to make an adjustment," Franco said. "I tried to go out
there and tried to see a good pitch to hit, and that's what
happened. He threw me a good pitch to hit, and I put good contact on
it."
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Jeanmar Gomez (1-2) earned the victory in relief. Ken Giles pitched
1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his third save.
Wood, making his first start for the Dodgers since he was acquired
in a trade with the Atlanta Braves last week, went 6 1/3 innings and
allowed four runs and eight hits. He struck out eight and walked
two.
"I probably should've taken him out after the sixth," Dodgers
manager Don Mattingly said. "He did a good job."
Williams, who was looking to end a personal five-game losing streak,
instead got a no-decision. Winless over his past nine starts, he
went five innings and allowed one run and seven hits.
The Phillies broke on top in the third inning.
Hernandez singled with one out and Herrera followed with a double
into the right field corner, bringing Hernandez all the way around
to score.
The Dodgers knotted it at 1-1 in the fifth inning. Rollins led off
with a single but was erased on a fielder's choice. Consecutive
singles by Gonzalez and left fielder Andre Ethier delivered Kendrick
with the tying run.
An RBI double by Los Angeles pinch hitter Carl Crawford in the
eighth cut the gap to 5-2, but Brown singled home a Philadelphia run
in the bottom of that inning.
NOTES: Dodgers SS Jimmy Rollins said before the game that the
Phillies' clubhouse was "a rough place" last year and that he spoke
with GM Ruben Amaro after the season (and before Rollins' trade to
Los Angeles) about the problems former manager Ryne Sandberg had
communicating with the players. "I thought that was something that
he needed to work on," Rollins said. "When you manage, you have to
manage the players -- manage the game during game time, but in the
meantime, you have to manage the players." ... Before the game, the
Dodgers reinstated C A.J. Ellis (right knee inflammation) from the
disabled list and optioned C Austin Barnes to Triple-A Oklahoma
City. ... Phillies 2B Chase Utley, on the disabled list since June
23 with an inflamed right ankle, continued his rehab assignment with
Double-A Reading on Tuesday, going 1-for-4. He is scheduled to play
for Reading again Wednesday.
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