Homers aren’t the only thing Phillies outfielder Rhys Hoskins can do. He can also start triple plays, as he showed on Sunday afternoon against the Cubs.
The Cubs were threatening in the top of the fifth inning as Anthony Rizzo walked and Tommy La Stella singled. With a 1-1 count, Javier Baez hit a sinking liner to left field. Hoskins was able to snag the ball just before it hit the grass. Hoskins got up, bobbled the ball, threw to second baseman Cesar Hernandez to get the out on Rizzo. Hernandez fired the ball to first baseman Tommy Joseph to get the out on La Stella. The Cubs challenged the play, but the ruling on the field was upheld.
This marked the sixth triple play of the 2017 season. It’s the Phillies’ first since August 7 last year against the Padres when Jabri Blash grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play. It’s the first time the Cubs have been victims of a triple play since September 14, 2014 against the Pirates when Matt Szczur grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play.
Hoskins hit the 11th homer of his young major league career in the bottom of the eighth and the Phillies went on to win 6-3.
