Phillies: Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper coming up clutch

Any Major League Baseball team would want their star sluggers to produce game-changing plate appearances as often as possible. Over the most recent pair of Philadelphia Phillies wins, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper have done just that.

Phillies sluggers Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper have been clutch in recent wins.

Hoskins put up perhaps the best game of his career Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Down 1-0 in the third inning — after Trevor Story hit a sacrifice fly RBI in the first — the first baseman launched a 435-foot home run to center field, giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Three innings later, with the game notched at four, Hoskins delivered another go-ahead, clutch blast. With two runners on and two outs, Hoskins hit a 408-foot, three-run home run to right center field.

Starting pitcher Aaron Nola scored runs during both of Hoskins’ home runs, reaching base via a single and bunting into a fielder’s choice. The Phillies wound up winning, 7-5. Hoskins going 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, five RBI (tied career high), and one walk, played a huge part in getting the Joe Girardi-led squad back to the .500 mark through 20 games.

Before Saturday’s win, the most recent Phillies victory came on Wednesday in the series finale against former manager Gabe Kapler and the San Francisco Giants.

Harper played a big role in this 6-5 Phillies win. While he did not have multiple home runs, his game-tying solo shot to right center — in the seventh with two outs — could not have come at a better time.

With the game still tied in the ninth, Harper led off the frame with a walk. Two batters later, Brad Miller singled. Then, Andrew Knapp singled again — scoring Harper from second for the walk-off victory.

Hoskins (6) and Harper (4) have the most and second-most homers on the Phillies. Harper’s 1.047 OPS, meanwhile, is good for ninth-best in all of Major League Baseball. The Phillies will need help from everyone on their team to be successful in 2021, but especially these two sluggers. So far, they have been clutch.