NEW YORK — The bottom of the Phillies’ batting order came through in a big way Tuesday night.
Maikel Franco, hitting in the No. 8 spot, drove in four runs with a three-run homer and an RBI single to lead the Phillies to a 7-3 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The Phillies’ No. 9 hitter also had a big night, though not with the bat.
Enyel De Los Santos earned the pitching victory in his major-league debut. The 22-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic delivered 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs. He gave up five hits, including a pair of triples and a double, walked three and struck out six. His fastball averaged 93 mph and topped out at 97.
De Los Santos was acquired in the December trade that sent shortstop Freddy Galvis to the San Diego Padres. He had been called up from Triple A Lehigh Valley earlier in the day to make a spot start as the Phillies needed an extra arm after playing a doubleheader on Monday.
De Los Santos was 9-3 with a 1.89 ERA in 16 starts at Lehigh Valley before his promotion. He was sent right back to Triple A as the Phillies needed to make room for Vince Velasquez to come off the disabled list and pitch on Wednesday night. But De Los Santos will leave having made a good impression and is just a phone call away should a need arise. Had the Phillies not needed De Los Santos in this game, he would have pitched in the Triple A All-Star Game on Wednesday night.
MLB
The Phillies entered the game tied for first place in the NL East with Atlanta. The victory was the Phillies’ 10th in the last 13 games and improved them to 51-39 while the Mets sagged to 36-53. And that after an 11-1 start.
Franco continued to swing a hot bat even as he remains firmly on the trading block. Manager Gabe Kapler dropped him to the eighth spot in the batting order eight games ago. Since then, Franco is 11 for 25 with a double, two homers, three walks and seven RBIs.
The Mets also used a pitcher making his major-league debut. Franco welcomed Drew Gagnon to the majors with a three-run homer in the second inning. Franco did a good job staying back on a hanging, 80-mph curveball. In the sixth inning, Franco stroked an RBI single up the middle. In between, the Phillies got a two-run single from Nick Williams in the third and a solo home run from Odubel Herrera — his career-high 16th — in the fifth.
Williams had three hits and is 9 for 22 in six games on the road trip.
There was a scary moment in the bottom of the third inning when Rhys Hoskins ran face-first into the left-field wall trying to make a play on what ended up as a triple by Amed Rosario. Hoskins went down in a heap and Kapler and athletic trainer Scott Sheridan ran out to tend to him. But Hoskins quickly sent them back to the dugout. He gave the bench a thumbs-up and stayed in the game.
Hoskins had three singles in the game. The Phillies out-hit the Mets, 13-7.
The Phillies added veteran Trevor Plouffe from Triple A before the game and he contributed a pinch-hit single in the eighth.