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Top prospect Franco hits first Triple-A homer

IronPigs third baseman records second multihit game this week

The Phillies' No. 1 prospect, Maikel Franco, hit his first home run of the season Thursday, but it wasn't enough to lead Triple-A Lehigh Valley to a victory. The IronPigs lost, 9-5, to Norfolk.

Franco, ranked No. 25 on MLB.com's Top 100 prospects list, finished the night 3-for-4 with a double and two runs. The home run was also his first at Triple-A, after hitting 31 last season between Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading.

The third baseman opened the season in a prolonged slump. Even after collecting two hits Wednesday, he entered Thursday hitting .153 with a .181 slugging percentage.

But Franco may be coming around. Thursday was his third multihit game in the last five, and he has a .391 on-base percentage in that span.

Teddy Cahill is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tedcahill.
Read More: Philadelphia Phillies, Maikel Franco