Vincent Velasquez, Rhys Hoskins power Phillies to 2-0 win in Miami
Before the Phillies game started last night against the Miami Marlins, it was announced that Bryce Harper would be heading to the 10-day injured list with a bruised left wrist. The team was already without both JT Realmuto and Didi Gregorius. Realmuto will be out until at least Saturday and there’s no word on when we can expect Gregorius to return.
The Phillies had lost seven of nine games and fell into fourth place in the National League East. They desperately needed someone to step up and give this team a boost. Rhys Hoskins and Vincent Velasquez delivered.
Sound on for Rhys Hoskins:
Sandy Alcantara had not allowed a hoe run against a right-handed hitter since Realmtuo hit one on September 10th 2020. Hoskins fell behind 0-2 with a runner on first and two outs in the fourth inning. He fouled off three of the next four pitches to get the count to 1-2. Alcantara tried to finish him with a 99.8 mph fastball that drifted to the middle of the plate and Rhys Hoskins absolutely destroyed it.
Hoskins hit the pitch 107.7 mph 410 feet to deep left field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was the hardest pitch that Hoskins has hit for a home run in his career. Rhys has been amazing over the last two weeks, slashing .333/.446/.500 with 18 hits, two home runs, 11 RBI, and eight walks. On a team that continues to struggle offensively Rhys Hoskins needs to continue to carry the load until the rest of the Phillies lineup gets healthy.
The Phillies will also need good pitching.
Vince Velasquez took the mound last night and threw six scoreless innings. It was the first time since August 2018 that Vinny threw six scoreless. Velasquez now has a 2.30 ERA in seven starts since he joined the rotation last month.
Throughout the game, an annoying Marlins fan kept chirping at Velasquez calling him nothing more than a “high-school pitcher”. Velasquez shushing him as he walked off the field in the sixth was nothing more than icing on the cake for the he and Phillies.
A confident Vince Velasquez has proved to be dangerous. The Phillies desperately needed a win and Vinny delivered, allowing only three hits while striking out five over six scoreless. Sam Coonrod got the Phillies out of a jam in the seventh inning. Jose Alvarado and Hector Neris closed out the game and gave the Phillies a 2-0 victory.
Aaron Nola will take the mound tonight for the Phillies against the Marlins at 6:40pm to keep the momentum going in the Phillies favor. The Phillies are now 24-25 and sitting in third place in a tightly packed NL East.
[…] Vincent Velasquez is 2-0 on the season with a 2.95 ERA in 10 games, six of which were starts for the Phillies. He’s thrown 36.2 innings and has struck out 45 batters with a 1.28 WHIP. Velasquez is confident and pitching some of the best baseball of his rollercoaster career. The Phillies desperately needed him to step up with Matt Moore and Chase Anderson both struggling and Velasquez has over delivered in doing so. […]
[…] Vincent Velasquez is 2-0 on the season with a 2.95 ERA in 10 games, six of which were starts for the Phillies. He’s thrown 36.2 innings and has struck out 45 batters with a 1.28 WHIP. Velasquez is confident and pitching some of the best baseball of his rollercoaster career. The Phillies desperately needed him to step up with Matt Moore and Chase Anderson both struggling and Velasquez has over delivered in doing so. […]