The Phillies are heading back to the World Series for the first time in 13 years after defeating the Padres 4–3 in Game 5 on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper hit a pair of two-run home runs, with Harper’s eighth inning blast proving to be the clinching homer that secured a World Series berth for the Phillies.
Hoskins, who has spent his entire six year career with the Phillies, spoke with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal after the game and was asked if the feeling of going to the World Series was what he had imagined.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so much more, so much more,” Hoskins said.
“So much hard work has been done. It’s amazing, it’s amazing. Everybody on this field deserves it, everybody in the crowd deserves it. It’s been a long time.”
When Rosenthal asked specifically about Harper’s two-run that gave the Phillies the lead and ultimately a World Series berth, Hoskins gushed praise on his teammate.
“We call him ‘The Showman.’ He always has a knack for those moments and he has his whole career. I don’t think anybody in the dugout was surprised but man, what a swing, what an at-bat, what a player. ‘MV3,’” Hoskins called Harper, who wears No. 3.
While the Harper home run proved to be the clincher, Hoskins played a major role in Game 5 as well. He started the scoring by blasting a two-run home run to left field on a 3–0 count in the third inning to give Philadelphia the early lead. When asked about why he swung on a 3–0 pitch, Hoskins was blunt in his assessment.
“It’s a guy that throws strikes,” Hoskins said, referring to Padres starter Yu Darvish.
“We knew that he was going to be good all day. I thought this was maybe my best chance to get something in the middle of the plate, and I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it,” Hoskins added.
Behind the strong Game 5 performances of Hoskins and Harper, the Phillies are heading back to the World Series for the first time since 2009.
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