Rhys Hoskins homers in his return as Phillies cruise to 3-1 win over Brewers

Ballplayers like to treat every game the same, from 1 to 162, but June 3, 2024 was always going to be different. It was different from the moment Rhys Hoskins arrived at Citizens Bank Park, his home for the last seven seasons.

The walk to the visitors clubhouse was longer than he was used to. Hoskins sat in a different dugout, wearing a different uniform, and when his name was announced for his first at-bat, he received a standing ovation (also different).

He knows this ballpark well. The former Phillies first baseman spiked his bat here, in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS. He went on hot streaks and cold streaks here. He signed his first professional baseball contract here, as a 21-year-old fifth-round draft pick with big league aspirations, and he realized his big league dreams here.

» READ MORE: Rhys Hoskins comes back to Citizens Bank Park, the place where he helped turn the Phillies around

But on Monday night, in a 3-1 Phillies win, Hoskins added a new chapter to his Philadelphia story. A few hours before the game, the Milwaukee Brewers DH joked that he didn’t know if he’d be booed or cheered. Either would be a compliment, in his mind. By the end the night, he would experience both.

Hoskins received two standing ovations before he even stepped into the batter’s box. He received an ovation when his name was announced as part of the starting lineup, and when the Phillies showed a video montage of him before the game.

When he did step into the box, in the second inning, the umpires called for an on-field delay. Hoskins hugged catcher J.T. Realmuto. He stepped out of the box, and took off his helmet, saluting the fans. It was an emotional moment for him. He touched his heart with his right hand, and slowly spun around to see the crowd of 43,553 fans standing for him.

“It was loud,” Hoskins said. “I got to sneak a peek up towards our family section, just to see how my wife was doing, and it looked like she probably shed a couple of tears, too. It was loud — but that’s what this place does. I’m not surprised by it.”

Bryce Harper clapped from first base, and Rob Thomson clapped from the dugout. It set the tone for a night that would be all about the former Phillies slugger. Both the Phillies and Hoskins said it wouldn’t be hard for them to switch into game-mode on Monday night, but even they couldn’t help but smile at times.

Realmuto — who is not one for in-game displays of emotion — couldn’t help himself either. In the fifth inning, Hoskins walked against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, and stole second base with two outs. He slammed his helmet down and grinned at Realmuto when he reached the bag.

“I hope [I surprised him],’” Hoskins said.

That put him in scoring position when Blake Perkins singled to center, and Hoskins was almost successful. But center fielder Johan Rojas made a terrific throw that reached Realmuto in time to tag out Hoskins, who laughed as he touched home plate. Realmuto did, too. They gave each other a pat on the backside before retreating to their respective dugouts.

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“Obviously wish we were able to get the run at home — Rojas made a great throw — but we’ll always be able to go back and forth about that,” Hoskins said.

Said Realmuto: “Well, he stole the base on me at second, and turned and stared right at me and smiled. Just a little friendly banter there. I was giving it back to him after we tagged him out.

“He stole the base on me. He said he was going to have that one forever.”

In the seventh, Hoskins put his team on the board with a solo home run to left-center field. This is when the boos began to rain down. He took it all in, sticking his hand up in celebration as he rounded second and third. The boos turned into cheers — and golf claps — by the time his home run trot was over.

Other than that solo shot, it was another strong outing for Wheeler, who gave his team seven solid innings. The right-hander needed 25 pitches to get out of the third inning when he loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk. He was able to escape unscathed on a double play he started with a force at home followed by Realmuto’s relay to first base. Wheeler then struck out William Contreras to strand runners on second and third.

Reliever Jeff Hoffman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with one strikeout, and Jose Alvarado earned the save in the ninth, which featured the 400th strikeout of his career.

» READ MORE: Former GM Matt Klentak’s mark on the Phillies’ roster remains strong. Now the team is reaping the benefits.

Outfielder David Dahl, who was called up from triple A Lehigh Valley only hours before the game, was happy he was in the ballpark to witness Hoskins’ moment. The 30-year-old journeyman, who was called up when Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens were placed on the 10-day injured list, was making his Phillies debut after signing a minor-league contract in February.

It had been a chaotic day. He and his IronPigs teammates had trekked eight hours to Columbus, Ohio for a game the night before. Monday was an off day, until Dahl received a call from Phillies general manager Sam Fuld at around 12:45 p.m., telling him to report to Philadelphia.

“I think [the timing] actually helped, because I wasn’t sitting around thinking about it,” Dahl said. “It was just all right, we need to get going.”

It didn’t take Dahl long to realize how this fan base treats its players. After he hit a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning to put the Phillies up 3-0, he jogged back to left field to find a standing ovation awaiting him.

“For it to be my first game with the org and to see that — how much they care about their guys — how passionate they are about the game, it was definitely surreal,” said Dahl, who previously had been with the Rockies, Rangers, and Padres. “That was probably the coolest thing I’ve experienced on a baseball field.”

So, as it turned out, June 3, 2024 was anything but normal. It was a night of beginnings and ends, boos and cheers, tears and laughs. Hoskins will come back on Tuesday and Wednesday, but nothing will compare to Monday night. Realmuto said as much.

“His first at-bat was pretty emotional for all of us,” the catcher said. “I know he got a little choked up in the middle of it. He’s a special player and this is a special place, and that bond never really dies. So to see them treat him that way and accept him and just … it brought back a lot of good memories.

“Obviously he means a lot to this organization. He’ll be a brother of ours forever.”