Slumping Franco takes a seat

ST. LOUIS - Maikel Franco was granted the day off Thursday afternoon as the Phillies hope a respite could help the third baseman snap his second slump of the season.

Franco has five hits in his last 36 at-bats. His two extra-base hits in that 10-game stretch have been doubles. He has not homered since April 23. It is Franco's second 5-for-36 stretch this season. He snapped the first slump by hitting three homers in two games, but then began to struggle again.

"It's part of the process, it's part of the game," Franco said. "I know that I don't want to get into trouble. I don't want to be in the slump that I have right now. I'm just letting it go. I know that it's part of the game. I have to be positive. I have to be strong. Come Friday, we'll see what's going to happen."

Pitchers have attacked Franco during the slump with fewer fastballs, opting instead to challenge him to hit curveballs, change-ups, and sliders. Just half of the pitches Franco has seen during the last 10 games have been fastballs, according to Pitchf/x data.

Franco said he has noticed a pattern of breaking balls on the outside part of the plate. Sometimes, he said, the pitches hang. And other times, Franco said, he just misses them. Franco believes that pitchers have approached him differently this season after his stellar rookie year. They do not want to make a mistake against him.

"I want to be more patient and more selective," Franco said. "If they don't want to pitch me, then I'll take my walk. I have to be more relaxed."

Franco's slump has done little to help the National League's second-worst offense. The Phillies have scored 90 runs in the first 29 games as they average 3.10 runs per game. Atlanta, which the Phillies will play next week, is worse with 3.07 runs per game. Franco said his team's struggles are not causing him to press at the plate.

"There's two ways to look at it: You either let him battle through it until he climbs out of it or you give him a break mentally, more than anything, and let him think about it," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I told him, 'I'm going to give you the day off. Just relax. I might use you to pinch hit. Start all over when we get to Miami.' "

Pete Mackanin batted his pitcher ninth after batting the pitcher eighth in 13 straight games. "I batted the pitcher ninth to spur the offense on. I tweaked it by batting the pitcher eighth and then I kind of stirred it up by putting the pitcher back to ninth. Trying anything I can," Mackanin said with a laugh. . . . Vince Velasquez, Jeremy Hellickson, and Aaron Nola are scheduled to pitch this weekend against the Marlins. . . . Wei-Yin Chen (2-1, 4.26 ERA) will pitch Friday for Miami.