NEW YORK – Maikel Franco had his second straight five-RBI game in lifting the Phillies to an 11-6 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
Franco smacked a three-run home run -- his 10th in 37 games with the team -- in the fourth inning. In the top of the ninth, he broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run double.
Franco is hitting .319 with 29 RBIs. He is a hitting .415 (34 for 82) in June, best in the majors.
The Phillies have won three in a row to pull within 21 games of the .500 mark. They have raised their total of road wins to nine, which remains the fewest in the majors.
Starting pitching report
Sean O’Sullivan allowed 10 hits, four of which were home runs, and six runs over 4 1/3 innings. O’Sullivan benefitted from five runs in the top of the fourth inning as the Phillies took a 6-3 lead. But he allowed three runs in the fifth as the Yankees tied the game. O’Sullivan’s ERA swelled to 5.34.
Yankees lefty CC Sabathia was tagged for six runs in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four extra-base hits, including a pair of homers. His ERA in 15 starts this season is 5.65.
Bullpen report
The Phillies’ bullpen delivered 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Jeanmar Gomez and Luis Garcia pitched out of serious trouble in the sixth and seventh, respectively. Ken Giles hit 99 mph on the radar gun in striking out three in the eighth and Justin De Fratus got the final three outs.
Giles got the win.
Dellin Betances allowed Franco’s two-run double in the ninth and took the loss.
At the plate
The Phillies trailed, 3-1, after three innings, but surged ahead, 6-3, on the strength of five runs in the fourth inning. All the runs scored on homers -- a two-run shot by Cameron Rupp and a three-run blow by Franco.
Rupp’s homer was his first in the majors. Franco’s was his 10th in just 143 at-bats.
Cesar Hernandez got the start again at second base and responded with three hits, an RBI and two runs scored.
Franco started at first base and Andres Blanco got the start at third. Blanco had a double and put the game out of reach with a three-run triple in the ninth.
The Yankees scored three in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. Chase Headley and Alex Rodriguez hit back-to-back homers and Carlos Beltran and Chris Young had doubles.
Garrett Jones and Brett Gardner also had solo homers for the Yankees.
Weather check
The first pitch was delayed one hour, 21 minutes by rain and the threat of severe weather.
Up next
Cole Hamels (5-5, 2.96) returns to the mound Wednesday afternoon after missing his last start with a sore hamstring. He will be opposed by right-hander Ivan Nova, who is making his first start since having Tommy John surgery last year.
Hamels remains the subject of much trade talk (see story).