Long Ball Hall keeps on delivering for the Phillies

PHILADELPHIA » In the movie version, the latest scene in the saga of Long Ball Hall would end in truly cinematic fashion.

There’s Darick Hall, on the field at Citizens Bank Park, still in uniform, with his wife Ashley and mother Lynette. They’re watching the postgame fireworks display, after a game he won with a swing of his bat, over a team Hall’s Phillies are chasing for the playoffs. Before he faced questions from the media, before he tried to square all the “first Phillie since” stats, before he tried to put into words what three home runs in the first three nights of his big league career meant — there would be Hall, fireworks and a city skyline reflected in his eyes.

“This is something we work for for our whole life,” Rhys Hoskins said, providing the supplemental dialogue. “… He’s got to be on top of the world right now.”

Hall is certainly on top of the pitching that has come his way. His home run Friday night, the third of his young big league career, broke a tie to give the Phillies a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, bringing the Phils to within one game in the loss column in the chase for Wild Card spots.

“It felt really good,” Hall said. “I felt like taking that lead back gave us some momentum, and we were able to build on it, shut the door. And I think that’s why we won.”

Hall turned on a 1-1 changeup from Miles Mikolas to break a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth. It’s Hall’s third homer in his third major league start. He joins Ed Sanicki in 1949 as the only Phillies since 1900 and only nine players since 1961 to have their first three career hits as home runs.

Those around him credit his approach as being vital to stepping into the middle-of-the-order breach for left-handed power-hitting left by the injury to Bryce Harper.

“I’ve been with D-Hall every single level coming up through the minor leagues, and he’s been the same guy at every level and hasn’t changed since he got here,” said Mickey Moniak, whose RBI double Friday marked just his second extrabase hits in three seasons in the bigs. “It’s just a testament to his character. … To be able to see him come up through the minor leagues and to work his ass off and come up here and do what he’s done the last few days has been special.”

Hall isn’t doing this as a top prospect but as a grinder who’s known struggles. He’ll turn 27 next month, a 14th-round draft pick out of Dallas Baptist. He reached Double-A in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, and his progress threatened to stall at Triple-A. But he’s risen to the bigs at a perfect time for the Phillies, and he’s made the most of his chances.

“Big homer, late in the game, against a really good team in the middle of the year. I don’t know how much more you can script,” said Hoskins, who knows of what he speaks, starting his career in 2017 with 11 homers in his first 18 games. “Happy for him. It’s a big swing, it’s a powerful swing, and I think people are going to learn that.”

“Putting him right in the middle of that order, he’s just here and having fun,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I told him when he got here, don’t change your routine. Nice and relaxed, do everything you did in Lehigh Valley, and go out and play. That’s what he’s doing.”

Hall’s first week in the bigs couldn’t have gone much better, not at the plate, or not with who he shared it with. As memorable as the homers might be the moments he’s shared with his family, who’ve seen up close the seven-year pro journey to this point.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Just being there with my mom, she’s been there with me through it all. It’s super cool.”