Philly Special: Phillies 6, Pirates 2

When I look back on the end of this season, I’ll be able to identify the exact moment I got completely on board with this team.

That’s Rhys Hoskins calling some Philly Special play action as he rounds the bases after hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning. That fills me with so much joy I’m barely able to contain it. Here’s Rhys’ full home run.

When I watch that, I hear angels singing. It’s beautiful. And that go-ahead three-run homer was made possible by:

The Phillies Offense

They didn’t do much before the sixth inning, but that’s when they finally made it all stick. Carlos Santana, who employs the same “get on base at any cost” philosophy as our old friend Chase Utley, got hit by a pitch, and then went to third on an Odubel Herrera single. Incidentally, that single gave Odubel a personal best 22-game on-base streak. Then Rhys came up and hit it into the seats. It was too good to be true, really. The leader of the team and its most prolific home run hitter comes up to bat at very time the Phillies are desperate for an extra base hit, and he knocks it out of the park.

Aaron Nola’s pitching

Gabe Kapler will never take him out too early again. He was brilliant, allowing just one run over seven innings. Come on, Matt Klentak. Give this guy an extension, and do it now.

Oh, and if anyone might have been concerned about his lack of strikeouts up to now, you don’t have to be anymore. He notched NINE.

The win was sealed after Hoskins hit that homer, but there were three more innings left to go. The Phillies made more than the best of them. They scored three more runs in the eighth inning, and Hector Neris nailed down a four-out save. This was a particular highlight.

But the Phillies sent so many men to the plate in the eighth that Neris actually got to bat! He really, really wanted to bat the other night, and he finally got his chance. And that led to THIS GLORIOUS MOMENT.

If you don’t love this team right now, I don’t know what more they can give you. Yeah, I could nitpick the defense or the hitting issues of some players, but why do that? Right now, the Phillies are making it happen.

I could start weeping right now. The Phillies don’t suck. I’ve been waiting for this for so long.