PHILADELPHIA _ The second inning of his second major league start is one that Joel De La Cruz and the Atlanta Braves will probably try to forget as soon as possible.
The Philadelphia Phillies used six extra-base hits and an error to score seven runs in the second inning and cruised to an 8-2 win Monday afternoon in a series opener at Citizens Bank Park.
Erick Aybar's first-inning homer was all the offense the Braves mustered until the eighth inning of their ninth loss in 13 games since a six-game winning streak. De La Cruz was charged with nine hits and seven runs (four earned) in six innings, and eight extra-base hits he allowed were one shy of matching a franchise high since at least 1913.
De La Cruz (0-2) was called from Triple-A last week to make a spot start or two in the Braves' injury- and trade-thinned rotation. He had toiled more than eight seasons in the minor leagues without a call to the big leagues, then hadn't gotten into a game in either of his first two callups this season with the Braves.
He pitched six solid innings (seven hits, three runs) in a loss to Cleveland in his debut, and also pitched well in five of his six innings Monday against the Phillies.
But that second inning ...
Aybar's first home run as a Brave was a line-drive to the right-field seats on Jerad Eickhoff's third pitch of the game and first pitch to Aybar. The veteran shortstop has been dramatically improved since returning from a stint on the disabled list for a foot contusion, batting .319 with seven extra-base hits in 20 games and drawing some trade interest.
De La Cruz, 27, protected the lead for one inning, then was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of extra-base hits in the second. The Braves didn't score again off Eickhoff (6-9) until the eighth inning, when they got consecutive two-out doubles from Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis.
Eickhoff allowed five hits, two runs and two walks with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings, improving to 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in four career starts against the Braves including three this season.
De La Cruz gave up leadoff doubles in the first and second innings, but that's where any similarities between the innings ended. He retired the next three batters in the first inning on a sacrifice bunt and two strikeouts, but in the second the leadoff double was just the spark. Gas on flames ensued.
After Cameron Rupp's leadoff double in the second, Tommy Joseph followed with a double that glanced off center fielder Emilio Bonifacio's glove as he raced back to the warning track. Rupp held up in case the ball was caught, so he only got to third on the play.
Rupp scored on a groundout and Cesar Hernandez tripled to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
Eickhoff followed with a fielder's choice grounder to third baseman Brandon Snyder, whose throw to the plate sailed high, letting in a run. Odubel Herrera's two-run homer _ the fourth extra-base hit of the inning _ pushed the lead to 5-1.
And the Phillies still weren't done running De La Cruz through the spin cycle.
Peter Bourjos was up next and doubled, and one out later Maikel Franco hit the second home run of the inning, a two-run shot with two out for a 7-0 lead. Six extra-base hits and seven runs in one inning.
