Top ten moments of the Philadelphia Phillies 2017 season
![PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 27: Rhys Hoskins #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies acknowledges a standing ovation by the fans after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on August 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 6-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F08-2F839954558-chicago-cubs-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-850x560-f8a40712dcc379880ee57a9ac15f1c5a.jpg)
![PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 27: Rhys Hoskins #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies acknowledges a standing ovation by the fans after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park on August 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 6-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F08-2F839954558-chicago-cubs-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-c42a21f107caff5087442a31ea911414.jpg)
With the 2017 regular season now over, let’s take a look at the top ten moments for the Philadelphia Phillies this season.
It’s hard to argue the fact that the Phillies were very hard to watch this season. They finished the first half without reaching 30 wins and looked far away from any sort of contention.
Two and a half months later, the script has completely flipped as they showed major signs of life in the second half of the season. They were actually quite fun to watch by the end of the season and look like a much different team in 2018.
With the season over, let’s take a look back at some of the best moments of the season, even some that happened when the team was at the bottom of the barrel.
![PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 01: Nick Williams #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies jumps into the arms of Odubel Herrera #37 as he and Rhys Hoskins #17 score on Williams three-run inside the park home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning of a game at Citizens Bank Park on October 1, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F10-2F856406272-new-york-mets-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-0c0497860f9a7a95290d38078df96fa7.jpg)
No. 10: Welcome to the bigs, kids
The Phillies saw 13 players make their major-league debuts in 2017, including some of their best prospects heading into the year. Andrew Knapp opened up the year as the team’s backup catcher while spring training success story made the team as a non-roster invitee.
There were plenty of highly anticipated debuts as well with Nick Williams, Rhys Hoskins, and J.P. Crawford all reaching the majors by the end of the year. Jorge Alfaro debuted in 2016 in September, but this year was his first real chance at extended playing time.
Several notable pitching prospects debuted as well with Drew Anderson, Ben Lively, Nick Pivetta, and Mark Leiter, Jr. all contributing to the rotation while Ricardo Pinto, Yacksel Rios, Jesen Therrien, Victor Arano, and Hoby Milner all contributing to the bullpen.
The success of several of these rookies makes many believe that the team should make a huge step forward in 2018. That will be figured out in time, but it was great to see several top prospects make their debut this season.
No. 9: Aaron Altherr hits grand slam off Clayton Kershaw
The first time the Phillies played the Dodgers this year, they were swept in a three-game series in Los Angeles at the end of April. The next time the two teams played each other, the season was almost over. Between April and mid-September, the Phillies changed drastically. That showed with Philadelphia taking three of four games from Los Angeles between Sep. 18 and 21.
The first of those wins came against Clayton Kershaw, the arguable favorite for the NL Cy Young. Heading into his start against the Phillies, Kershaw had a 2.12 ERA in 24 starts.
Kershaw had kept Philadelphia off the board through five innings. With two outs and runners on first and second, Rhys Hoskins worked back from a 1-2 count to walk on seven pitches to load the bases. Aaron Altherr stepped up to the plate after Hoskins and utterly clobbered a slider from Kershaw, hitting it 418 feet with an exit velocity of 107.6 miles per hour according to Statcast.
The grand slam completely shifted the game to Philadelphia’s favor as they went on to win the game, 4-3.
![BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 26: Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after Kendrys Morales #8 of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a two run home run during the fifth inning at Fenway Park on September 26, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F10-2F854402996-toronto-blue-jays-v-boston-red-sox-jpg-23ef9d1ec41c3d72dd1a8906dcc65362.jpg)
No. 8: Beating the AL’s best
Little to nothing went right for the Phillies in June as they finished the month just 9-18. It was better than their abysmal May, but still certainly not something to be proud of.
One of those nine wins came on a night most probably wouldn’t expect the Phillies to win. That was on June 16 when the Boston Red Sox were in Philadelphia and their ace, Chris Sale, started. Sale was among the AL’s best pitchers this year and has a strong case for the Cy Young award. Even if he doesn’t win, he should still be runner-up.
For the most part, Sale did exactly what he was supposed to do to a struggling lineup like Philadelphia’s. He gave up just one run on four hits, recording ten strikeouts while walking just one. From that line alone, one would think that the Phillies were destined to lose.
However, Nick Pivetta kept the Red Sox with his best start of the season according to Game Score v2. He went seven scoreless innings, striking out nine batters while giving four hits and walking two. When Pivetta had to be at his best, he was.
Philadelphia’s lone run in the game came off the bat of Ty Kelly. He hit a RBI double down the left field line that just managed to score Andrew Knapp from first base. That hit built upon the legacy of the Ty-Breaker.
Kelly’s double secured a 1-0 win, breaking an eight-game losing streak for the Phils. It was a great moment in the middle of a terrible losing streak for the team.
![PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 09: Ty Kelly #15 of the Philadelphia Phillies congratulates teammate Cameron Rupp #29 on a home run in the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park on July 9, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F811414954-san-diego-padres-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-77336684d33075597743ed4265f7cc2e.jpg)
No. 7: Six home run game
Heading into the All-Star break it was hard to be a Phillies fan. The team had won just 28 games prior to the last day of the first half and was on a five-game losing streak. If you were doing something other than watching them July 9 against the Padres, no one would blame you.
However, it turned out to be a fun game to watch. The Phillies hit six home runs in their 7-1 win over San Diego. Freddy Galvis hit two home runs on the day and Nick Williams notched his first career home run after a week and a half in the majors. Cameron Rupp, Odubel Herrera, and Aaron Altherr all contributed solo home runs as well.
This strong offensive performance was a sign of things to come in the second half. The offense improved vastly in the second half, leading to a much better record.
No. 6: Remembering Darren Daulton
Not everything that happened this season was happy. Fan and team members alike were saddened by the passing of Darren Daulton during the season. The brain cancer he had beat before came back with a vengeance and it ultimately caused his death.
Daulton’s passing came just before alumni weekend, and with Pete Rose ungracefully removed from the ceremonies, they focused more on Daulton and the alumni base as a whole. The team painted his number 10 behind the plate and had his jersey hanging in the dugout for the weekend.
No. 5: Carlos Ruiz returns to Philadelphia
Phillies fans love to reminisce about the 2008 World Series. While most of the players from that team are out of the league, a decent amount are still around. Carlos Ruiz was one of the last to leave Philadelphia, only being traded in August of 2016 to the Dodgers. Ruiz was traded to the Mariners during the offseason, who came to Philadelphia in May.
Ruiz started the first game of the two-game series on the bench but entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. The fans responded, belting Chooooooch just like they had for so long while he was in the red pinstripes. He started the next day and got those same chants again.
Ruiz was obviously very emotional talking about the ovation: [quote via Matt Breen of Philadelphia Inquirer]
“That was really emotional. I’m really happy to come back here and enjoy the ovation from the fans,” Ruiz said. “That’s something that you’re always going to remember. We don’t see that too often. Just want to say thank you to everybody for the ovation and the support. They were so good to me throughout my career. I was so happy.”
Seeing members of the 2008 team return to Philadelphia is always nice, but we won’t be able to do it for much longer as the championship goes farther and farther into the rear-view mirror.
![PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 12: Aaron Altherr #23 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after scoring the game winning run against the Miami Marlins in the 15th inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-8. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F10-2F846265636-miami-marlins-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-691d9f5dac2d856c07c82dcdb29a1b97.jpg)
No. 4: Phillies hit two walk-offs in one game
Sep. 12 was a wild night for the Phillies despite it being a meaningless game in the end. The Phillies rallied from a 7-2 deficit to bring the game within one run of the Marlins. Rhys Hoskins started the rally with a monster home run in the bottom of the seventh inning before they put together a three-run eighth inning.
The ninth inning is where things started to get crazy. Nick Williams was hit by a pitch, Maikel Franco singled, and J.P. Crawford walked to load the bases with one out for pinch-hitter Hyun-Soo Kim. Kim singled into right field, scoring Williams with ears. Cesar Hernanedz, who pinch-ran for Franco, also appeared to have scored and the team celebrated what they thought was a walk-off win. Instead, Hernandez was ruled out after a replay review, leaving the game tied.
Marcell Ozuna led off the top of the 10th inning with a home run, putting Philadelphia behind 8-7. Freddy Galvis and Aaron Altherr recorded two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, leaving Hoskins as the last hope. Hoskins delivered, hitting his second home run of the game to once again tie it up.
The game stretched well into the night until Williams scored Altherr on a double. This walk-off was unquestionable, finally sending everyone home after a nearly five-hour game.
No. 3: 12-run inning versus the Nationals
The Phillies opened up their season with a win on Opening Day, but then proceeded to lose their next three games. Their next win of the season was certainly an exciting one.
The 38-year-old Jeremy Guthrie started the game for Washington and was immediately lit up by the Phillies offense. They loaded the bases on the first three batters, and the onslaught was on from there. Maikel Franco started off the scoring with a sacrifice fly before Michael Saunders and Tommy Joseph hit back-to-back singles. They just kept collecting runs with only the last at-bat of the inning not resulting in a baserunner or run scored.
When it was all said and done the Phillies scored 12 runs in the inning. It was the most they have ever scored in any first inning and nearly matched their season total up to that point of 14 runs.
Overall, they scored 17 runs, the most they had scored against the Nationals since they moved to Washington in 2005 and the most they had scored in any game since 2009 against the Reds.
![PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on September 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 3-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/w_480/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthatballsouttahere-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F10-2F853865124-washington-nationals-v-philadelphia-phillies-jpg-3dda1e84778d3e8f72e92d1a682f358d.jpg)
No. 2: Aaron Nola establishes himself as an ace
This wasn’t a particular moment as it was more of a collection of moments where Aaron Nola really established himself as a potential ace. Nola came into the season a complete question mark not for his performance, but for the fact that he missed the last two months of the 2016 season with an elbow injury. Elbows are finicky things and fans were understandably worried about whether or not Nola could return to 100 percent.
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By the end of the season, it became clear that Nola’s elbow was not only healthy, but that his performance had improved. As a whole, Nola finished the year with a 3.54 ERA (121 ERA+), 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, 2.6 walks per nine, and 1.208 WHIP in 27 starts.
Nola’s most impressive string of starts came between June 22 and Aug. 12 when he had a 1.71 ERA, .196 batting average against, 78 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 68.1 innings.
This stretch included dominant starts against the playoff-bound Astros and Rockies.
It’s hard to pick just one start to label the best of the year, but one that certainly has an argument was his start Sep. 13, the day after (of?) the two-walk-off game mentioned earlier. The bullpen was battered after such a long game and the team needed Nola to deliver a strong start. He did just that, striking out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings while giving up just one run on four hits and two walks. It’s starts like that make people think Nola could receive Cy Young votes and be this team’s ace.
No. 1: Rhys Hoskins goes deep in five straight games
A lot of players made their major-league debuts in 2017, but by far the most exciting was Rhys Hoskins. Fans had been clamoring for Hoksins since May after he got off to an incredibly hot start in Triple-A while starting first baseman Tommy Joseph had little production.
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Hoskins finally got his first chance at the major-leagues Aug. 10, starting in left field as Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera were both on the disabled list. It took Hoskins four games to collect his first hit, but from there it was on.
The next 30 games were utterly electric for Hoskins. He hit 18 home runs, setting record after record as the fastest player to reach several different home run totals. In that span he hit .343/.466/.895 with 38 runs batted in. Hoskins wasn’t afraid to take a walk either, walking as much as he struck out (23 times each) in 131 plate appearances.
The peak of that span came between Aug. 23 and 27. Hoskins hit a home run in five straight games, recording his 11th career home run in just 18 games. John Kruk could do nothing but laugh on the broadcast at just how ridiculous Hoskins was performing. Everything he did this season was ridiculous, but it was sure fun to watch.
Next: Phillies 2017 season grades: Catcher Jorge Alfaro
If the last two months of the season were any indication, we could have plenty of great Phillies moments in 2018.