Rhys Hoskins leads the Phillies’ five-homer slugfest in an 11-4 rout of the Reds for franchise’s 10,000th win

CINCINNATI — Brandon Marsh left the field, limping but without assistance, after appearing to seriously injure his left knee in the third inning Tuesday night.

Crisis averted for the Phillies?

It sure seems that way.

While the Phillies blasted five home runs, including two from Rhys Hoskins, in an 11-4 giggler over the gutted Cincinnati Reds on interim manager Rob Thomson’s 59th birthday, their new center fielder went for an MRI. Team doctors were reviewing the results, but preliminary indications are that Marsh has a bone bruise.

“It didn’t look too, too pretty, but I’m feeling very optimistic,” Marsh said. “Spirits are high, and I’m going to keep the positive energy.”

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So, the Phillies were able to celebrate the return of their power after going six games without a homer. Darick Hall and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back solos in the third inning before Hoskins’ decisive three-runner in the fourth and two-run blow in the eighth. Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs added a three-run shot in the ninth to cap the rout.

The Phillies (65-51) won a second game in a row in Cincinnati, improved to 16-8 since the All-Star break, and maintained their hold on the National League’s second wild-card spot, 1½ games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who lost in Miami.

“I didn’t know it was six games. It was too long for me,” said Hoskins, who acknowledged being aware of the power outage. “They seem to come in bunches, not just for me but for everybody, right? I think it’s one of those things that can be a little contagious as a team.”

Hoskins’ two-run homer traveled 422 feet and landed on the berm in straightaway center field. But his three-run shot restored order for the Phillies after Jake Fraley and Jonathan India went deep in succession to give the Reds a fleeting lead against starter Kyle Gibson and Marsh went down in a heap on the warning track after trying to make a leaping catch on India’s ball.

On a personal note, Hoskins ran his season total to 26 homers and became only the fourth MLB player with four seasons of 26 or more homers since 2018, joining Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt, and Phillies teammate Kyle Schwarber.

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“I know it’s looked a little up and down throughout the years, or at least within each season,” Hoskins said. “But if you can stand back and look at it from a bird’s-eye [view], to be able to provide a power bat in a lineup is something that I take pride in.”

With the Phillies trailing 3-2, Hoskins came to the plate with two on and two out against Reds starter T.J. Zeuch. He jumped on a first-pitch sinker and hit it out to right-center for a 5-3 lead.

The Phillies finished with 18 hits, tying their season high. Hoskins, Castellanos, and Jean Segura had three hits apiece.

At first glance, Marsh’s injury appeared ominous.

With the game tied 2-2, Marsh tracked India’s homer to the wall in right-center field, leaped, and came down on his knee, which contorted under the weight of his 215 pounds. He fell forward and writhed in pain on the warning track.

Castellanos came over from right field and waved for help from the dugout. Several Phillies athletic trainers came out to check on Marsh, who eventually got to his feet and hobbled off the field.

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“It was a bang-bang play, just one of those things where you’re going for a ball and you have to sacrifice the body a little bit,” Marsh said. “I just came down a little weird. It didn’t feel great.

“I was pretty scared at first, just the feeling I got. But I calmed down a little bit and I’m feeling better.”

The Phillies don’t intend to put Marsh on the injured list or make a roster move before Wednesday’s matinee series finale. Utility infielder Nick Maton, who entered the game in left field after Matt Vierling moved to center, singled to start the fourth-inning rally and made a diving catch on Albert Almora Jr.’s sinking line drive to end the sixth.

Schwarber hasn’t been in the lineup for five games because of a strained right calf, and the Phillies aren’t planning for the left fielder to return until Friday.

Would Thomson consider putting Maton out there Wednesday?

“After tonight, I’m not afraid to, that’s for sure,” he said.

The Phillies traded for Marsh at the Aug. 2 deadline to be their center fielder. In 12 games, and including a second-inning single against Zeuch, he’s 8-for-32 (.250) with 10 strikeouts and two walks.

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Other than the back-to-back dingers, the Reds didn’t make much contact against Gibson, who racked up 11 strikeouts to match a career-high set on May 8, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Gibson continued to be the epitome of a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He got through six innings and gave up three runs or less for the sixth time in his last seven starts. Since July 15, he has a 3.72 ERA.

More than two-thirds of the way through their 140th season, the Phillies became the ninth franchise to reach 10,000 victories, joining the Giants, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, Braves, Reds, Pirates, and Yankees.

“Take a part of baseball history,” Hoskins said. “I mean, that’s a lot of wins. I know we’ve got a lot of losses, too, as an organization.”

Indeed, the milestone victory came 15 years after the Phillies lost their 10,000th game.

Where was Hoskins in 2007?

“I was a freshman in high school,” he said.