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Herrera yanked for lack of hustle in Phillies' loss to Tigers

DETROIT - Odubel Herrera already had three hits on Monday night. The catalyst of the Phillies offense drove in a run in the third inning and helped trigger a run-scoring fifth inning. But Herrera found himself on the bench in the seventh inning of a 5-4 loss to the Tigers when he failed to hustle.

DETROIT - Odubel Herrera already had three hits on Monday night. The catalyst of the Phillies offense drove in a run in the third inning and helped trigger a run-scoring fifth inning. But Herrera found himself on the bench in the seventh inning of a 5-4 loss to the Tigers when he failed to hustle.

Pete Mackanin pulled Herrera after the centerfielder did not run out a grounder to the pitcher. The score was tied at 4. Herrera's spot - which was filled by David Lough - came to bat in the ninth when the Phillies trailed by a run. But none of that mattered.

This was about teaching a lesson to a formative player who could blossom into the leader of the next contending Phillies team. Mackanin said he can deal with a player making a mistake. But the manager said he does not tolerate a lack of effort.

"One of the ingredients of our success to this point is that the fact these guys play with energy, they play hard. And we're training them basically to play the game the right way," Mackanin said. "Not running is not the right way. That's why it's more important to me to set that tone than to take our best hitter out of the lineup."

Herrera said he was surprised to be removed but respected the manager's decision. He said he was frustrated with Detroit pitcher Justin Wilson, who Herrera said was quick-pitching him. Ryan Howard pulled Herrera aside before Mackanin got to him. That was great to see, the manager said.

"You just have to keep playing," Howard said. "He's an energy source on this team. He goes, we go. When he's walking, he's clapping. He's pumped up and all that stuff. It gets the rest of the team pumped up and ready to go. You hit a ball back to the pitcher like that, you just keep going because you never know what might happen."

Howard told Herrera that he understood his frustrations. Look at me, Howard said to his teammate. Howard finished Monday 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts. He is batting .156 this season.

Tommy Joseph, who played first base as Howard was the designated hitter, hit a home run and a double. The three-game series at Comerica Park allows Mackanin to write a lineup card with both players starting.

"It's been tough," Howard said. "It's been the overhaul of just not being able to find real estate out there. I'm hit some balls hard. You go through the phase of hitting some balls hard, you go through the phases of not hitting balls hard, you go through the phases of striking out. But when you don't get those hits to fall in for you, it just compounds everything and makes it a little bit worse. The only thing you can do is keep grinding."

After Herrera was pulled, Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera smoked a one-out double. He already had hit a pair of homers. Cabrera, who was removed a day earlier after being hit by a pitch in the knee, then scored the go-ahead run. The Phillies hoped he would miss Monday's game. Instead he was a thorn in their side.

His second home run - a towering shot to left field in the fifth inning - was the final blow for Vince Velasquez. He allowed three runs on nine hits in four innings. He threw 95 pitches. The righthander has a 3.86 ERA in his last six starts since he threw a shutout on April 14.

"Nothing was working," Velasquez said. "Have to go back and work on some stuff. I have to do something real quick and figure things out."

Herrera's issue is finished, Mackanin said. The centerfielder will play on Tuesday. And his lack of hustle, the team hopes, will be a thing of the past.

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen