PHILADELPHIA _ Maikel Franco, with his back to the Phillies dugout, listened as the Citizens Bank Park crowd cheered for each runner crossing the plate.
The Phillies, finally, delivered the punch their lineup seemed unable to throw. It came from Franco, who roped a bases-loaded sinker into right-center field to drive in three runs in a 7-3 win over Detroit on Wednesday night.
The Phillies had limped through the first six innings, just as they did a night earlier. Another silent loss, it seemed, was looming.
But then Franco came through. His double briefly moved him into the team-lead for RBIs with 25, all but six of which have come by hits with runners in scoring position.
Franco, bumped this year to the No. 8 hole, has seemed to come through quite often in the season's first month. Not only is Franco baseball's best eight-hole hitter, but he has been one of the National League's best-hitting third basemen.
With his back turned Wednesday night, there was one thing left for Franco to do.
He hopped, spun himself around, crouched, smiled wide, and waved to his cheering teammates in a dramatic performance of the celebration the team has made into a habit this season. Franco's big hit was now official.
The Phillies, after taking three of four from Miami, kept the good vibes going with a split against the Tigers. Franco's hit sent them into an off-day Thursday on a good note as they ready for a series against Washington, a three-game set that should be able to see how far the Phillies have come from the sputtering they felt before playing the Marlins.
Franco's big hit came too late to give Aaron Nola a win, but it was enough to not dampen the progress Nola seemed to make on a night that did not feature ideal pitching conditions. Nola struck out six, walked three, and allowed one run on seven hits before being lifted with two outs in the sixth inning.
Nola threw an almost even balance of fastballs and curveballs, while mixing in a change-up. He used that change-up to strike out JaCoby Jones and end the fourth inning with the bases loaded, three batters after Nola was hit in the back by a 100.8-mph line drive.
Nola, for the second-straight start, showed improvements after a rough start to the season. He battled through a brisk, windy, and misty night to keep the Phillies afloat. But after the offense scored just one run Wednesday night, it was not a sure bet that his night would be good enough.
Rhys Hoskins, who started the eighth inning with a homer to tie Franco's RBI total, began the seventh with a strikeout. J.T. Realmuto laced a double to right field and Sean Rodriguez was hit by a 94-mph fastball. Cesar Hernandez snuck a single into left field and suddenly the Phillies had a rally.
The Phillies, for the first time since the second inning, had a runner in scoring position with less than two outs. For other teams, this may have felt like a wasted opportunity with the No. 8 hitter coming to the plate. But the Phillies' eighth hitter happens to be their RBI leader. And he came through again.
Dusty Wathan, the third-base coach, waved his arm like a windmill as the three runners sped toward third and headed for home. Franco provided the hit, Wathan provided the direction. Two batters later, he would send Franco home on a single by Andrew McCutchen. The Phillies, finally, were still throwing punches.
