Francisco, Ibanez come up big

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies starting lineup wasn't posted when reporters went into the clubhouse at 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday.

AKA — something is definitely different.

That something turned out to be huge on Tuesday night.

Ben Francisco, playing for Jayson Werth, who was getting the day off because of his horrific slump, hit a single in the eighth inning that drove in the game-tying and winning runs to lift the Phllies over the Marlin 10-8 at Citizens Bank Park.

Brad Lidge loaded the bases in the ninth when he walked one and allowed two hits but wiggled out of the jam for his third save this season.

Francisco also singled and scored a run in the first inning and walked in the third. Werth, in the meantime, has an average that is nosediving. In a 17-game span from May 19 to June 7, he was 8-for-57 (.140) with 21 strikeouts and only six RBIs. His averaged dropped from .326 to .278 during that time.

Francisco's eighth-inning heroics helped make people forget the fact that he grounded into two 5-4-3 double plays.

Francisco was only one part of a Phillies' offense that looked more like itself.

The Phillies' 10 runs and 13 hits were the most they've put on the board since May 17 against the Pirates (a span of 20 games) and it was the first time they've hit two home runs since May 21 (a span of 16 games).

Raul Ibanez said after Monday's game that he was very close to coming out of his slump, and it certanily appears that way.

The left-fielder had one hit Monday before going 4-for-5 with two RBIs on Tuesday, raising his average 14 points (.230 to .246) in just one day. It was his first four-hit game of the season and only the second time this year that he's had more than two hits.

After the Phillies scored two runs in the eighth courtesy of Francisco's two-out single up the middle, Wilson Valdez drove in a run with a swinging bunt that gave the Phillies a two-run lead.

One of the most encouraging tidbits to come out of Tuesday's game was what Phillies hitters did with two outs. Of their 10 runs, seven of them came with two outs.

Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard each homered for the Phillies, who were trailing 8-7 going into the eighth inning.

Kyle Kendrick struggled, but was bailed out and got a no-decision. In five innings, he allowed six hits, six runs (five earned) and one walk.

Werth was in the on-deck circle in the eighth inning, but the inning ended before he got the chance to bat.

The Morning Call