It’s no longer news when Phillies' rookie Rhys Hoskins homers.
He did it again in Sunday’s 6-3 victory over the Cubs, launching a solo shot off Chicago reliever Koji Uehara in the eighth.
And for good measure, Hoskins — called up from Triple A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 10 — started the 14th triple play in club history, and the first since Aug. 7, 2016 (watch the play here).
Hoskins, who, according to Elias, became the quickest to 10 homers in modern major league history (57 at-bats) with a two-run shot Saturday against the Cubs, is the sixth Phillie to homer in five straight games. His 11 homers this month are a club rookie record.
After the triple play in the top of the fifth, the Phils erupted for five runs in the bottom of the inning to erase a 3-0 deficit. Nick Williams’ two-run homer off John Lackey (10-10) gave them the lead for good.
Nick Pivetta (5-9) earned the victory despite allowing three runs (two earned) in a rocky first inning.
MLB
He also walked Anthony Rizzo and gave up a single to Tommy LaStella to start the fifth. But Hoskins snagged Javier Baez’s sinking liner to left field, then threw to Cesar Hernandez at second for the out on Rizzo, who was running on contact. Hernandez fired to Tommy Joseph at first to retire LaStella, who also left early.
The Cubs then challenged whether Hoskins caught the ball, but the play was upheld.
Starting pitching report
Pivetta, recalled earlier in the day from Triple A Lehigh Valley, blanked the Cubs over his last four innings of work to snap a personal three-game losing streak.
Pivetta, who had not won since beating Atlanta on July 31, surrendered six hits while striking out five and walking four. Three of the walks came in the first when he gave up a two-run single to Rizzo. Pivetta also allowed a run on an infield out but wriggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam.
Reliever Drew Anderson was optioned to Lehigh Valley to make room on the roster for Pivetta, who had been sent down earlier in the week.
Lackey, who saw a five-game winning streak end, also lasted five innings. He wild-pitched home the Phillies’ first run in the fifth, then surrendered a game-tying two-run single to Freddy Galvis before Williams lined a first-pitch fastball into the seats in right, his eighth homer.
Bullpen report
Edubray Ramos worked two scoreless innings and Hoby Milner and Luis Garcia combined to blank the Cubs in the eighth, setting the stage for a 1-2-3 ninth by Hector Neris, who earned his 16th save.
Hector Rondon and Justin Wilson combined for two scoreless innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen, but Hoskins nicked Uehara in the eighth.
At the plate
Williams, Pedro Florimon and Maikel Franco had two hits each for the Phillies, and Florimon’s bunt single triggered the five-run fifth.
LaStella and Baez had two hits apiece for Chicago, but Chicago — which has scored the most runs in the majors since the All-Star break — could not break through after the first.
Up next
RHP Aaron Nola (9-9, 3.58) will be looking to snap a personal two-game losing streak when he takes the mound for the opener of a three-game series against Atlanta on Monday night. Nola has allowed 12 runs on 16 hits while working 11 1/3 innings over his last two outings. RHP Lucas Sims (2-3, 4.13) gets the start for the Braves.