Maikel Franco hit a grand slam and finished with six RBIs
After a rough first week, Gabe Kapler and the Phillies needed Saturday night. Maikel Franco and Aaron Altherr each hit grand slams and Vince Velasquez tossed six innings as the Phillies trounced the Marlins, 20-1, at Citizens Bank Park.

Franco finished the evening with six RBIs and has collected 10 over the past two games. He and Altherr paced an offense that erupted for 17 runs over the first four innings. The blast for Altherr snapped a 1-for-19 skid at the plate.

Jorge Alfaro and Carlos Santana also contributed long balls in the winning effort with Santana's also being the 1,000th hit of his career.

"A lot of great things happened tonight," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said afterward (see video below). "Carlos got his 1,000th hit, which was really cool. Vince had a solid effort."

Velasquez stumbled a bit in the opening frame, surrendering the lone run of the night to the Marlins. He was able to relax a bit though as the lead for the Phillies widened, surrendering just four hits while striking out six.



"He attacked, using all his pitches," Kapler said. "He attacked, but let the defense help him. That made a big difference. It was a strong effort."

The Phillies entered Saturday's contest holding the Major League lead in pitches seen per at-bat with 4.41 and that trend of patience continued Saturday night as the lineup worked Marlins' hurlers Saturday night for more than 200 pitches.

Every player in the Phillies' starting lineup collected at least one hit and scored at least one run.

Did You Know?
The Phillies last hit a pair of grand slams in April of 2009 in a contest against the Nationals when Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez both went deep.

Roster Moves
Right-hander Jake Thompson tossed three innings to secure a save but was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following the contest to make room for Jake Arrieta who will make his Phillies debut on Sunday.

Mending Words
"I guess the computers are making the lineup, I don't know," Nick Williams said following Thursday's contest [Read Matt Breen's story here].

Williams addressed the situation prior to Saturday's contest and said he spoke with Kapler on Thursday night. He mentioned to reporters Saturday that his comments were meant as a joke.

He collected a hit and scored a run in Saturday's win.

Up Next
Arrieta makes his debut at Citizens Bank Park after having inked a three-year deal with the Phillies this offseason for $75 million. He'll be opposed by right-hander Trevor Richards who his making just his second big league start.
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Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR

BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com

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