Baseball players like to treat every game the same, from 1 to 162, but June 3, 2024 was always going to be different. It was different from when Rhys Hoskins arrived at Citizens Bank Park, his home for the past seven seasons.
The walk to the visitors’ clubhouse was longer than usual. Hoskins sat in a different dugout, wearing a different uniform, and when his name was announced for his first at-bat, he received a (also different) standing ovation.
He knows this stadium well. The former Phillies first baseman pointed his bat here, in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS. He’s had hot streaks and cold streaks here. He signed his first professional baseball contract here, as a 21-year-old fifth-round pick with big league aspirations, and he realized his big league dreams here.
But on Monday night, in a 3-1 Phillies victory, Hoskins added a new chapter to his Philadelphia story. Hours before the game, the Milwaukee Brewers DH joked that he didn’t know if he would be booed or cheered. In his mind, either would be a compliment. By the end of the night, he would experience both.
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Hoskins received two standing ovations before even entering the batter’s box. He received a standing ovation when his name was announced in the starting lineup and when the Phillies showed a video montage of him before the game.
When he entered the box in the second round, the referees called a timeout on the field. Hoskins hugged wide receiver JT Realmuto. He came out of the box and took off his helmet, waving to the fans. It was an emotional moment for him. He touched his heart with his right hand and slowly turned around to see the crowd of 43,553 fans supporting him.
“It was loud,” Hoskins said. “I was able to peek into our family section, just to see how my wife was doing, and it looked like she probably shed a few tears too. It was noisy, but that’s what this place does. That does not surprise me. »
Bryce Harper cheered from first base and Rob Thomson from the dugout. It set the tone for an evening that would be all about the former Phillies slugger. The Phillies and Hoskins said it wouldn’t be difficult for them to get into game mode Monday night, but even they couldn’t help but smile at times.
Realmuto – not one to display emotion in the game – couldn’t help himself either. In the fifth inning, Hoskins walked Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and stole second base with two outs. He slammed his helmet on and smiled at Realmuto when he reached for the bag.
“I hope (I surprised him),” Hoskins said.
That put him in scoring position when Blake Perkins hit a single to center, and Hoskins almost made it. But center fielder Johan Rojas made a great throw that reached Realmuto in time to score Hoskins, who laughed as he hit home plate. Realmuto too. They slapped each other on the buttocks before retiring to their respective dugouts.
“Obviously I would have liked to have been able to score at home — Rojas made a great throw — but we’ll always go back and forth on that,” Hoskins said.
Realmuto said, “Well, he stole my base at second, turned around and looked me right in the eye and smiled. Just a little friendly joke. I returned it to him after identifying him.
“He stole my base. He said he would have this one forever.
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In the seventh, Hoskins got his team on the board with a solo homer to left-center field. That’s when the boos started raining down. He took it all in, raising his hand in celebration as he passed second and third. The boos turned into cheers – and golf applause – as his home run trot was completed.
Besides that solo shot, it was another solid outing for Wheeler, who gave his team seven solid innings. The right-hander needed 25 pitches to get out of the third inning when he loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk. He was able to escape unscathed on a double play that he started with force at home followed by Realmuto’s throw to first base. Wheeler then struck out William Contreras to strand runners at second and third.
Reliever Jeff Hoffman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with one strikeout, and Jose Alvarado got the save in the ninth, which featured the 400th strikeout of his career.
Outfielder David Dahl, who was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley just hours before the game, was happy to be in the stadium to witness Hoskins’ moment. The 30-year-old journeyman, who was recalled when Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens were placed on the 10-day injured list, was making his Phillies debut after signing a minor league contract in February.
It had been a chaotic day. He and his IronPigs teammates had walked eight hours to Columbus, Ohio for a game the night before. Monday was an off day, until Dahl received a call from Phillies general manager Sam Fuld around 12:45 p.m., telling him to report to Philadelphia.
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“I think (the timing) really helped, because I wasn’t sitting around thinking about it,” Dahl said. “Everything was fine, we have to go.”
It didn’t take long for Dahl to understand how this fan base treats its players. After hitting a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, he returned to left field to find a standing ovation awaiting him.
“Having it be my first game with the organization and seeing how much they care about their guys and how passionate they are about the game, it was definitely surreal,” said Dahl, who previously played with the Rockies and Rangers. , and Padres. “It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve experienced on a baseball field.”
So it turned out that June 3, 2024 was anything but normal. It was a night of beginnings and endings, of boos and cheers, of tears and laughter. Hoskins will return Tuesday and Wednesday, but nothing will compare to Monday night. Realmuto said it.
“His first at-bat was pretty emotional for all of us,” the catcher said. “I know he got a little choked up in the middle of that. He’s a special player and it’s a special place, and that bond never really dies. So seeing them treat it that way and accept it and just… it brought back a lot of good memories.
“Obviously, he means a lot to this organization. He will be our brother forever.