Maikel Franco fouled off a curveball, battling to keep his at-bat alive in the first inning on Saturday night. It was the seventh pitch of yet another long at-bat, as Franco has started the season with a new, grinding approach. The longer the at-bat, the more likely the pitcher will make a mistake.
The mistake came on pitch No. 8 — a grooved fastball — and Franco did not miss. He crushed Dillon Peter’s offering for a grand slam into the left-field stands, and the rout was on — a 20-1 thrashing of the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.