Phillies rocked by D'backs; Franco hurts wrist

PHOENIX - Maikel Franco's promising rookie season hit a snag Tuesday night at Chase Field. The 22-year-old third baseman was forced from the Phillies' 13-1 loss in the first inning when he was hit on the left wrist by a fastball from Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Jeremy Hellickson.

Franco was diagnosed with a contusion. X-rays on his wrist were negative, the Phillies said.

It looked as if it could have been worse. After he was hit, Franco retreated to the grass behind the batter's box and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. A team trainer and interim manager Pete Mackanin emerged from the dugout to tend to Franco, who remained on the ground for a couple of minutes before the trainer walked him to the dugout and into the clubhouse for treatment and tests.

Utility infielder Andres Blanco pinch-ran for Franco and remained in the game to play third base. Blanco scored when Arizona rightfielder Yasmany Tomas erred when fielding a Ryan Howard single, but the game quickly turned extremely ugly for the Phillies.

David Buchanan endured one of the worst pitching performances in Phillies history, a start that could spell the end of his third major-league stint this season. The 26-year-old righthander allowed 11 runs, each earned, in the second inning alone. Twelve of the 14 batters he faced in the frame reached base before he was mercifully pulled.

A pitcher hadn't surrendered 11 earned runs in an inning in eight major-league seasons. In a July 29, 2007, start for the Houston Astros, Jason Jennings was the last one to reach such a level of ineptitude. No Phillies starter had allowed 11 runs in a start since Al Jurisch in 1947.

Buchanan was the first Phillies pitcher to allow 11 earned runs in an inning since Hal Kelleher gave up 12 in 1938. That stands as the franchise record. Kelleher accomplished it in relief. That disastrous eighth inning at Chicago's Wrigley Field marked his final major-league appearance.

Hellickson, the Diamondbacks' starting pitcher, tagged Buchanan with two singles that drove in three runs. David Peralta cleared the bases with a grand slam. Aaron Hill added a two-run home run three batters later. Arizona's five extra-base hits in the frame tied a franchise record.

The dreadful inning raised Buchanan's season ERA to an even 9.00. He has allowed 21 hits - four home runs - over the 52/3 innings of his last two starts. His inability to record outs could prompt the Phillies to promote Jerad Eickhoff or Alec Asher, the triple-A righthanders they acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Cole Hamels trade. Eickhoff, 25, boasts a 0.64 ERA through his first two starts with Lehigh Valley.

An already taxed Phillies bullpen was forced to log 71/3 innings on Tuesday. Hector Neris took care of the first 21/3. Adam Loewen allowed a run in the fifth and another in the sixth before Justin De Fratus entered for the seventh.

Chase Utley tallied two more hits, both singles, making the trade candidate 7 for 17 since returning from the disabled list on Friday.

@jakemkaplan