Delayed gratification: Phillies 9, Marlins 8 (15)

At one point last night, before the game went into extra innings, the Phillies led 2-0. That was in the fourth inning, when this game was just a little infant.

Eleven innings later, the Phillies would finally defeat the Marlins 9-8, and it was one of the wilder contests you’ll see.

By the sixth inning, the Marlins had crept out to a 7-2 lead thanks to a few bad innings from Nick Pivetta. And that’s when the Phillies started clawing their way back.

In the seventh inning, Rhys Hoskins hit a home run and it was awesome. I don’t have any more ways to say it. Watching him is a pleasure. It’s a delight. He’s amazing. I’m so happy.

It was 7-3, and we had just gotten started.

In the eighth inning, the Phillies hung three runs on the Marlins, and now it was really a comeback. Double from Maikel Franco. Single from Jorge Alfaro. Double from J.P. Crawford. It was 7-5. A walk from Tommy Joseph. A single from Freddy Galvis. It was 7-6.

The ninth inning was a mess. Nick Williams got on when he was hit by a pitch, and then Maikel Franco singled and Williams made it to third on a throwing error. Franco was replaced by Cesar Hernandez, and then Crawford walked. There was one out. Things were tense.

And then Hyun Soo Kim singled and there was madness. Williams scored and Hernandez came barreling home at the same time as the throw. The initial call was safe, and it looked like the game was over in the bottom of the ninth. Celebration time, right?

Wrong. The play was challenged and overturned. Williams’ tying run still counted, but Hernandez had been barely nicked by the tag. The walk-off celebration, which had commenced as soon as the initial call was made, had been premature.

Whoopsie. And I had a feeling about this game.

Not exactly, but kind of.

Hector Neris came in to pitch the tenth, and he allowed a monster home run to Marcell Ozuna to start the inning. It was 8-7.

And then in the bottom of the tenth, Rhys Hoskins became a legend.

I MEAN HOLY SHIT.

HOW.

IS HE AN ALIEN? HE’S AN ALIEN. OR WAIT. I KNOW WHAT HE IS!!!

It was 8-8 and Rhys Hoskins made it that way.

And then nothing for four innings. The beats were getting restless.

(SERIOUSLY STOP IT WITH THE DAMN WOOING.)

The 15th is as far as it would go. Aaron Altherr singled, and Nick Williams doubled to bring him home. Game over, Phillies win 9-8.

After the game, fateful conversations would take place concerning the man that tied the game and the man that won the game.

ALIEN FRIENDS! There is nothing better than that.