August 15, 2017
The Phillies dropped their 73rd game of the season on Monday night at Petco Park in San Diego.
They're 30 games under .500. They'll likely spend the next six weeks competing with the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Cincinnati Reds for the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft ... which is a nice way to say finishing with the worst record in baseball for the second time in the last three years.
But this, this was fun.
Four days after his promotion to the big leagues, Rhys Hoskins hit not one but two home runs in the Phils' 7-4 loss to the Padres.
My friend Jim Salisbury from CSNPhilly was at Petco Park last night and you should read his story. Here's a taste:
Both home runs were well-struck line drives that traveled 402 and 400 feet, respectively.
"Both were no doubt about it," manager Pete Mackanin said.
Hoskins was delayed getting into the clubhouse after the game because he was busy meeting the fans who caught his two home run balls. He traded a couple of autographed balls for the home run balls.
"I was definitely hoping for at least the first one," Hoskins said. "But the fact we were able to get both of them was pretty cool. It's something I'll have for the rest of my life."
If you're keeping count at home, that's 31 home runs for Hoskins in 2017 in 418 at-bats. (Yes, the first 29 came at Triple-A Lehigh Valley).
But that prodigious power stroke that Hoskins showed off in Allentown, and before that in Reading, where he hit 39 home runs in 2016, was on full display on Monday in San Diego while you were probably sound asleep back in the Delaware Valley. West Coast games are cruel that way.
Great HR celebration by @RhysHoskins22 in #Phillies dugout after hitting his 1st career HR in #MLB 💪🏼⚾️ pic.twitter.com/PpuNhknEEH
— Diego Ettedgui Lacau (@diegoettedgui) August 15, 2017
At least you had something fun to wake up to, though, right? What's more fun than seeing a player making the most of being playfully snubbed?
Perhaps watching Aaron Nola pitch, maybe. Still, this, this was fun.
