Franco continues quiet place in rookie award race in Phils' lopsided loss

PHOENIX - Maikel Franco jumped on the second pitch he saw from Arizona righthander Rubby De La Rosa to lead off the sixth inning and sent a baseball into orbit at Chase Field.

When the ball landed well over the center field fence, 455 feet from home plate, it was the longest home run by a Phillies hitter in more than three years, according to ESPN. It was the longest since Jim Thome's mammoth blast in Minneapolis more than three years ago, a ball that was hit so far the future Hall of Famer joked it found a home on a "walleye stick," the famous fried fish confession at Target Field.

"I'm joking about the walleye stick," Thome assured reporters immediately afterward of his 459-foot blast on June 14, 2012.

Franco's 13th home run did not come with a side of fries or even a churro. It happened to be the only highlight in a lopsided loss to the Diamondbacks.

Arizona had its own share of tape measure shots - three doubles, three triples and three home runs - to rout the Phillies 13-3 on Monday night. The loss snapped the Phillies three-game winning streak.

"Well that was the first bad game we've had in a long time so, it's bound to happen sooner or later, it happens to every team," said manager Pete Mackanin, whose team entered having won 16 of 21 games since the All-Star break. "So tonight was us

Diamondbacks leadoff hitter A.J. Pollock was a double short for the cycle. Rookie Yasmany Tomas, whom the Phillies pursued this winter, hit his seventh home run of the season. Catcher Welington Castillo hit his 8th home run in his last 12 games and didn't get cheated, launching it 431-feet to center a half inning before Franco's titanic blast to the same area of the Phoenix baseball launching pad.

"It's a good hitters ballpark," Mackanin said. "The ball jumps here. But that's really not an excuse. They hit the ball pretty well."

Aaron Harang was on the wrong end of the near-constant barrage of D-backs batted balls. For the second time in four starts, the veteran righthanded yielded eight runs.

Two months into the season, Harang looked like a tradeable commodity for the rebuilding Phillies: he had a 2.02 ERA through 11 starts through May. But from June 1 through Monday night's horror show, Harang has a 8.10 ERA in his last nine starts.

"Too many pitches up in the zone, " Mackanin said. "Once again, command command command. Jerome (Williams) pitched the ball down (Sunday) and was successful. And (Arizona) has got a good hitting team."

"I've got to establish in, and I didn't do that early enough," Harang said. "When they start getting comfortable at the plate it makes for a long day."

Harang was lucky to be trailing 2-1 after four innings. In the fifth, his teammates brought the Phillies even.

Chase Utley, leading off for the third time in four games since returning from the disabled list, hit a two out single. Utley, starting at first base on Monday, has hit safely in all four games since being activated. Cesar Hernandez, who supplanted Utley as the team's regular second baseman, followed with a double to the left-center gap to tie the game.

But when Arizona's offense answered back, they never let up. The Diamondbacks sent 17 batters to the plate in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring nine times on two walks, four singles, two double, two triples, and a home run.

The final line did not look good on Harang's pitching line, and neither did the numbers on the home half of the scoreboard in center field. At least Phillies fans who stayed up to watch a west coast game had Franco's latest power display to admire.

Franco finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run and a double following an 0-for-12 weekend in San Diego.

"I think he's happy to get out of California," Mackanin said. "Maybe he likes the desert."

Franco is also arguably the quietest candidate in a crowded National League Rookie of the Year field, although his bat spoke plenty loud on Monday night.

Franco is hitting .277 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI.

Only two National League rookies have more RBI, Kris Bryant of the Cubs and Matt Duffy of the Giants — but both also have more than 60 more at-bats, too. Only Joc Pederson of the Dodgers (21), Bryant (15), and Randal Grichuk of the Cardinals (14) have more home runs.

Among major league rookies with at least 300 plate appearances, no one has a better OPS or slugging percentage: Franco has a .828 OPS and .490 slugging percentage. Only one other rookie has as many doubles: teammate Odubel Herrera. Both have 22.

Shouldn't Franco be on the national radar at this point?

"It's not in my mind right now," Franco said. "I just try to come in and do my job and try to do the best I can to have a good game and help my teammates."