Hoskins, Wheeler shutout Dodgers, Phillies win 2-0
Rhys Hoskins entered last night’s game on a horrid 0-for-33 skid dating back to June 5th. The Phillies first baseman was just three at-bats without a hit away from tying the Phillies franchise record with an 0-for-36 hitless streak. In May, Hoskins raised his batting average from .231 to .256 and his on-base percentage went from .273 to .336. He entered the month of June leading the Phillies with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs.
Coming into last night’s matchup against Clayton Kershaw, Hoskins held a .234 batting average. His on-base percentage slipped to .308. Hoskins hit a 3-2 pitch from Kershaw deep to left field in the first inning of last night’s game to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead avoiding making the Phillies history books for all the wrong reasons.
The Phillies will need more of this from Rhys, while Bryce Harper is day-to-day and Jean Segura is expected to miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury.
In the top of the 3rd inning, JT Realmuto doubled on a line drive to right fielder Steven Souza Jr. to score Odubel Herrera. The Phillies scored two runs against Dodgers starter and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. That would be all the team needed, with a final score of 2-0 to avoid getting swept in Los Angeles. It was the first time the Dodgers were shut out since September 14, 2019.
Kershaw pitched well, but allowed eight hits and those two runs, while striking out nine. On the mound for the Phillies, was Zack Wheeler. Wheeler threw six innings, allowing five hits and four walks, while striking out six. In relief, Jose Alvarado pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four, and Hector Neris earned his 10th save of the season with a clean slate in the ninth.
The Phillies will have the day off today, as they head to San Francisco for a three game series against Gabe Kapler and the Giants. Bryce Harper is expected to return on Friday, but the team will still be without Jean Segura and Didi Gregorius.
After being 11-21 wearing gray uniforms on the road, the Phillies wore red last night and won. Sunday, they will wear the red jerseys again. Use today to figure out how to log on to the streaming service Peacock. The MLB decided it was a good idea to air the Phillies-Giants series on that streaming platform. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The Phillies are in second place in the NL East at 33-33, five games behind the leading New York Mets.
Mandatory Credit: The LA Times
[…] the past two weeks would be a grave understatement. From June 5th until last Sunday against the Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hoskins was 0-for-33 and in danger of making the Phillies record books for all the wrong reasons. […]