PHILADELPHIA (AP) Maikel Franco launched a towering drive Fergie Jenkins Jersey , watched the ball clear the left-field wall and flipped his bat high in the air backward before his jubilant trot around the bases.Franco’s three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Phillies to a 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night and kept Philadelphia a half-game ahead of Atlanta in the NL East.”We never give up. We keep fighting, man,” Franco said after the team’s four-run rally in the ninth.Kyle Barraclough (0-5) walked Rhys Hoskins to start the inning and Scott Kingery ran for him. Carlos Santana reached on an infield single with one out and Asdrubal Cabrera walked to load the bases. Barraclough’s first pitch to Nick Williams was behind him and kicked hard off the backstop. The Phillies challenged but a video review confirmed the ball did not hit Williams. However, he drove in the tying run on a groundout.Franco followed with his 18th homer. After his bat flip, he jogged without a helmet and was swarmed by teammates at the plate.”I got too excited,” Franco said. ”I know I was all over the place. I kept saying `Get out. Get out. Get out’ and finally it did.”Franco has been having a turnaround season.He was benched two months ago for Kingery and then J.P. Crawford http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-greg-maddux-jersey , but has been one of the team’s best hitters since returning to the lineup.”I just waited for my moment,” Franco said. ”I do whatever I can and take nothing for granted.”The Braves beat the Mets 4-2 and the Phillies were aware of the scoreboard.”Anybody who says they’re not watching is not being genuine,” manager Gabe Kapler said. ”As a group, we are a fighting unit. We’re tenacious. We grind. We just don’t give up.”Tommy Hunter (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning in relief. Philadelphia’s Nick Pivetta gave up two runs and four hits, striking out seven in six innings.After J.T. Realmuto lined a single with one out in the fourth, Justin Bour drove his 17th homer deep into the seats in right-center to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.Hoskins connected in the sixth for the Phillies Carlos Zambrano Jersey , sending a drive way out to left. He has hit eight of his 22 homers in 13 games since appearing in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star game.Marlins starter Pablo Lopez allowed one run and five hits, striking out five in his sixth career start.Cabrera was 0 for 3 with a walk in his first home game since coming over from the New York Mets in a trade last week.”Games like this hurt,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.STREAK BROKENThe Phillies had been 0-38 when trailing after eight innings.TRAINER’S ROOMMarlins: Right-hander Sandy Alcantara’s rehab start at Single-A Jupiter was rained out. He’s scheduled to pitch Friday. Alcantara (right armpit infection) has been sidelined since earning his first major league win on June 29.Phillies: All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos, acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday, said he’s ”100 percent sure” he’ll return to action this month. Ramos has been on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain.UP NEXTRHP Vince Velasquez (7-8, 4.02 ERA) goes for the Phillies and RHP Trevor Richards (3-5 http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-mark-grace-jersey , 4.06) starts for the Marlins on Friday night. Velasquez is 3-1, 2.63 in seven career starts vs. Miami. Richards is 1-0, 2.70 in two starts vs. Philadelphia.— Rob Carr/Getty ImagesHouston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was named the 2018 MLB All-Star Game MVP after he smashed a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th inning Tuesday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.A blast from teammate George Springer moments later gavethe American League a two-run lead, and it held on for an 8-6 win, its sixth straight Midsummer Classic victory.FOX Sports: MLB MLBONFOXALEX BREGMAN FOR THE LEAD! UGvlouSZYJAccording to ESPN StatsInfo Javier Baez Jersey , Bregman and Springer joined the Los Angeles Dodgers duo ofSteve Garvey and Jimmy Wynn (1975) as the only sets of teammates to hit back-to-back home runs in All-Star Game history.Bregman also became the first Astros player to snare the coveted hardware.Incidentally, it was the second year in a row the All-Star Game MVP went yard in the 10th inning, A year ago, Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano ripped a solo shot into right field at Marlins Park off Wade Davis to hand the AL a 2-1 win.Bregman, who entered the break hitting .288 with a career-high 20 home runs and 64 RBI, will try to keep things rolling into the fall as the Astros eye back-to-back titles.
