PHILADELPHIA _ Maikel Franco tossed his helmet before he even reached first base, knowing a throng of teammates was ready to mob him Wednesday night after a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. He sprinted past first base and darted to right field, trying to delay the celebration after his bases-loaded single provided the winning run in the 12th inning.
But Franco's dash was to no avail. Freddy Galvis caught him in right center. It was a night to savor and soon Franco was drenched by a watercooler. The third baseman had done it again. Tommy Joseph started the 12th by being hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Luis Garcia. Cesar Hernandez walked and Aaron Altherr reached on an error to bring up Franco with the bases loaded.
For the second straight night, the Phillies used a late rally to spurn the National League West leaders. They chased Madison Bumgarner on Tuesday and toppled Johnny Cueto on Wednesday. The pitchers _ two of baseball's elite arms _ have a combined 6.12 ERA this season against the Phillies and a 2.10 ERA against the rest of baseball.
Brett Oberholtzer, Michael Mariot, Hector Neris, Edubray Ramos, David Hernandez, and Garcia pieced together seven scoreless innings to keep the Phillies within striking distance. The Giants went six innings without a baserunner until Hunter Pence singled to off Hernandez to start the 11th.
The Phillies rallied in the eighth, tying the game on a two-out, two-run single by Franco. Jimmy Paredes and Cesar Hernandez reached base to start the rally and then moved up a base on an infield groundout by Aaron Altherr. Franco drove the pair home with a single up the middle.
Franco roared as he stood on first base after his game-tying single. First base coach Mickey Morandini reached out his right hand and Franco emphatically whacked it. He had come through again. The third baseman entered August stuck in a wicked slump with just three hits in his last 26 July at-bats. Franco responded by driving in six runs in the month's first two games. He snapped his slump against Bumgarner and Cueto.
Ryan Howard and Cameron Rupp hit back-to-back homers in the seventh, providing the Phillies their first two runs and injecting some life into what was then a listless offense. Howard finished 3 for 4 to record his first three-hit game since April 29.
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy may have given Cueto too long a leash. He was dominant before serving up the homers to Howard and Rupp. The right-hander struck out 10 batters, walked one, and threw 112 pitches. Perhaps he pitched one inning too long.
Phil Klein arrived at Citizens Bank Park in the afternoon to fill in at the last minute for Aaron Nola, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. Klein, who was initially scheduled to pitch Wednesday for triple-A Lehigh Valley against Scranton Wilkes-Barre, was tagged for four runs in five innings.
The right-hander was hit hard _ six of his nine outs were flyouts _ but he survived. Klein struck out three, walked one and allowed eight hits. He kept the Phillies in the game. And for the second night in a row, that's all they needed.
