Phillies rout Braves, a win away from NLCS
PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins raised his arms in triumph, and then spiked his bat in celebration — a raw, emotional moment destined for Philadelphia’s rich sports history.
Hoskins then trotted around the bases in front of a rabid crowd of 45,538 fans already in a tizzy over the Phillies’ first home playoff game in 11 years. The whole thing felt like an out-of-body experience for the veteran slugger.
“It’s just the moment, man,” he said. “I didn’t know what I did until a couple innings later, really.”
Hoskins burst out of his postseason malaise with a three-run homer and slammed his bat in celebration, and Bryce Harper hit a two-run shot that sent Philadelphia to a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their NL Division Series on Friday night.
Harper added an RBI double as Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five matchup against the reigning World Series champions. The Phillies can advance to the NL Championship Series with a Game 4 win at home today.
Harper had a bit of Tug McGraw in him when he relayed a rallying cry to Hoskins.
“He said, ‘We ain’t losing,’ ”
Hoskins said. “I think it’s the belief that he has in us. It’s the belief we have in each other. “
Hoskins turned to Harper on the dais and asked him, “You want to do it again?”
“Let’s do it again,” Harper said.
“Let’s do it again,” Hoskins replied.
Phillies fans should save the rally towels — the Phillies played like a team that wants to keep Red October alive.
Bryson Stott got the rally going in the third inning with an RBI double off Braves rookie Spencer Strider. Kyle Schwarber then was walked intentionally.
Hoskins, mired in a 1-for-19
postseason slump, crushed a 93.8 mph fastball into the left field seats for a 4-0 lead. Hoskins raised his arms sky high, slammed his bat into the grass and skipped his way to first base.
The exit velocity? It took about 2 seconds for Harper to hurdle over the dugout rail and toss his helmet in the air. Hoskins leapt into a violent elbow forearm exchange — think, Bash Brothers — with Stott as he crossed the plate.
“I don’t know if my feet touched the ground,” Hoskins said.
Strider, who pitched for the first time in almost a month because of a strained left oblique, gave up one more single before he was lifted for Dylan Lee.
Playing his first home playoff game with the Phillies, Harper hammered the ball into the twilight for his second postseason homer and a 6-0 lead. Phillies fans that held hand-cut letters that spelled out “Harper” bounced in delight in the stands.
Harper, who embraced Philly and its fans from the moment he signed a $330 million, 13-year deal in 2019, pointed to a fan that held a “Hit That Jawn” sign behind the dugout.
Jawn is a Philly noun used to describe anything.
Harper’s shot made Philly feel everything.
“This is what it’s all about. We have an opportunity to clinch at home,” the two-time NL MVP said.
Aaron Nola, pitching the best baseball of his career, was an October ace again in shutting down the Braves. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out six in six-plus innings.
Strider could only shake his head after the shortest start of his brief career at 2 1/3 innings.
“I was going to pitch until they took the ball away and try to put up zeros,” he said.