Instant Replay: Marlins 6, Phillies 4

BOX SCORE

MIAMI - For once, scoring wasn't the main problem for the Phillies, at least not early.

The offense produced 11 hits and four runs through five innings, battling to tie the score.

But the Phillies still lost, 6-4, to the Miami Marlins, falling victim to a titanic, two-run, tie-breaking homer in the eighth inning by Giancarlo Stanton.

The baseball hit by Stanton probably has a dent in it - he hit it 475 feet to center field, clobbering an 87 mph off-speed pitch from reliever Hector Neris (0-1).

For fans who want to look on the bright side, Maikel Franco seemed to break out of his slump. He had an RBI double, a solo homer and a well-hit out to left field among his five at-bats. He had been benched on Thursday as a result of a 5-for-36 slump.

The homer was his first since April 23 and his sixth of the season.

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Peter Bourjos, who had two hits, including a two-run double, also had a good game, but it wasn't enough to keep the Phillies from losing their third straight game.

Starting pitching report
Neither starting pitcher earned a decision. Miami's Wei-Yin Chen allowed 11 hits and four runs in five innings.

The Phillies' Vince Velasquez allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings. Velasquez gave up a season high in hits, including a two-run homer by Christian Yelich, his third homer in four games.

Yelich, who is in his fourth year in the majors, had 20 career homers in 1,380 at-bats entering Tuesday. His homer on Friday gave him three homers in a 13 at-bat span.

Loving lefties
The Phillies entered Friday batting .166 against lefties, but they had no problems with Marlins southpaw Chen, pounding him for 11 hits in five innings.

Despite starting a lineup that included four of nine hitters with batting averages below .170, the Phillies scored four runs off of Chen.

The Phillies are the second-worst offensive team in the majors - behind only the Atlanta Braves - and they have the worst batting average in the majors against lefties, yet they came alive against Chen.

Even the Phillies' outs were loud.

Web gem
In addition to his hitting heroics, Franco turned in a spectacular play to end a two-on, one-out Miami threat in the sixth inning. Franco backhanded a hard grounder by Chris Johnson, spun and threw to second to start a double play.

Up next
Saturday at 7:10 p.m.: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-2, 4.88) at Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (2-3, 7.25).

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