Francoeur breaks up perfect game in 8th

MIAMI — Off the bat, Jeff Francoeur wasn’t sure he hit the ball hard enough to get into left field. Shortstop Corey Seager did his best to prevent it from happening, making a leaping attempt.

But Francoeur did manage to have the distance — and a bit of good fortune — as Seager wasn’t able to make a spectacular jumping play. It was about the only break the Marlins had on Saturday night in their 5-0 loss to the Dodgers at Marlins Park.

For seven innings, the Marlins could barely manage to make solid contact off Dodgers lefty Rich Hill, who flirted with perfection. Hill didn’t allow a baserunner and struck out nine on the night.

But because Hill has dealt with blister issues, the Dodgers weren’t taking any chances, so manager Dave Roberts pulled the veteran after 89 pitches for right-hander Joe Blanton in the eighth inning.

Francoeur’s single to left, which glanced off Seager’s glove, came with two outs in the eighth.

“It’s huge,” Francoeur said. “I was saying, in 11 years in the big leagues, I’d never had a no-hitter against my team or a perfect game. I was definitely praying this wasn’t the first time. I’m glad we were able to come through …

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