The marquee attraction at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night was the opener of a three-game set between the first-place Milwaukee Brewers and first-place Philadelphia Phillies.
However, a key subplot for Phillies fans was the return of Rhys Hoskins to the city where he played seven seasons and was a beloved part of the 2022 World Series team.
Hoskins left Philadelphia in the offseason, signing a two-year deal with the Brewers in free agency. He’s brought some punch to Milwaukee’s lineup this year, tying for the team lead with nine home runs.
Yet Phillies fans still have affection for Hoskins, which was demonstrated with two outs in the second inning when the designated hitter received a standing ovation (including from his former teammates) as he went to bat.
“I’ve got goosebumps,” said Brewers TV play-by-play broadcaster Jeff Levering after the long cheer.
Hoskins popped out in that first at-bat. But he walked for his second plate appearance in the fifth. That’s where the fun began.
Two batters later, Hoskins stole second base to move into scoring position. (He stole only 15 bases during his entire Phillies career, by the way.) With the Brewers down 3–0, he had a chance to score Milwaukee’s first run of the game on a single by Blake Perkins.
As Philadelphia fans know, Hoskins isn’t the fastest runner. Yet Brewers third base coach Jason Lane sent him. Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas willingly accepted the challenge and threw out Hoskins at home to end the inning. Hoskins gave an appreciate pat to former teammate J.T. Realmuto for the play.
But in the seventh, Hoskins provided a thrill for the visiting team when he crushed a high 2–1 fastball from Zack Wheeler over the left field fence to finally get the Brewers on the board. He didn’t get another standing ovation but did draw cheers from the crowd, which he acknowledged as he rounded second base.
No bat spike on that one, though.
That was Milwaukee’s only run of the game in a 3–1 defeat on Monday night. Wheeler got the win, allowing five hits over seven innings. David Dahl hit a home run for the Phillies after being called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill in for Brandon Marsh, who went on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
But the fans in attendance arguably got everything they wanted. A beloved player returned to a video tribute and two standing ovations, and also hit a home run. And the home team got the victory, winning a matchup between two first-place clubs.
