MLB LOOK AHEAD

D-backs to face patient producer Hoskins of Phillies

The Sports Xchange

August 07, 2018 at 11:35 pm.

Aug 2, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Rhys Hoskins (17) hits a home run during the sixth inning of the game against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won the game 5-2. Photo Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Aug 2, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Rhys Hoskins (17) hits a home run during the sixth inning of the game against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won the game 5-2. Photo Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX — Outfielder Rhys Hoskins has made Philadelphia franchise history by using an offensive approach that is very similar to that of a pair of perennial MVP candidates, including one who is in the other dugout in this series in Arizona, Paul Goldschmidt.

Hoskins reached 100 walks in 151 games, faster than any Phillies player, and his production numbers through the early stage of his career are comparable to team legends Chuck Klein, Lefty O’Doul and new Hall of Famer Jim Thome.

Power and patience, the post-modern definition of success.

“They have a guy over here who has kind of a similar profile, Goldschmidt,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said, “and when we went to Cincinnati, Rhys and I discussed there is a guy over there (Joey Votto) with a similar profile, one of the best on-base players in baseball.

“A guy who is not going to outside of his plan. He’s going to look for a pitch to drive, and if he doesn’t get that pitch to drive he’s going to try to force an RBI or go out of the zone. That’s kind of who Rhys is.

“It’s the definition of a good offensive player. Aggressive on pitches in the zone. Extremely passive on pitches outside the zone. And at the end of those at-bats, you can hit the ball out of the ballpark.”

Goldschmidt had two hits and an RBI in the second game of the series, when Hoskins walked again in the Phillies’ 5-2 win Tuesday.

Philadelphia moved 1 1/2 games ahead Atlanta in the NL East after the Braves split a doubleheader in Washington, while the Diamondbacks fell one-half game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

“Things broke down on us in the eighth inning,” said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo after the Phillies used two errors on the same play to open a four-run inning for a 5-0 lead.

“We play a good brand of baseball here and we are going to address some of those concerns and make sure we don’t do it again.”

Arizona left-hander Patrick Corbin (8-4) is to face Philadelphia right-hander Vince Velazquez (8-8) in the final game of the three-game series.

Goldschmidt, the only NL position player to be named to the last six All-Star Games, is leading Arizona with 24 homers and 61 RBIs.

Hoskins, in his second season, leads the Phillies with 28 doubles, 22 homers and 72 RBIs. His .938 OPS through the first 150 games of a career trailed only Hall-of-Famer Chuck Klein. Hoskins had 40 homers in his first 149 games, against trailing only Klein, who needed one fewer game.

Since returning June 9 from a fractured jaw suffered when he fouled a ball off his face against Kenley Jansen, Hoskins has 16 homers and 31 walks. St. Louis’ Matt Carpenter is only player with as many homers and walks in the same stretch.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Hoskins, 25, led the majors in pitches seen per plate appearance, 4.44, entering Tuesday’s gdame. Goldschmidt was fifth, at 4.31. Votto was also over four, at 4.04.

“(Hoskins) know what his strike zone is, and he attacks pitches in the zone,” Kapler said. “He’s going to get on base for a really long time in this game. And hit home runs.”

Corbin, who has a 3.31 ERA, has made quality starts in five of his last eight outings, and the Diamondbacks have won five of those. Corbin is 2-1 during that run and is 2-0 in his last games, with victories against the Cubs and San Francisco.

He is second in the NL with 174 strikeouts, one more than NL ERA leader Jacob deGrom. Corbin has 25 strikeouts in his last 19 innings. He did not face the Phillies’ in their series earlier this season and is 2-2 with a 4.44 ERA in four career starts against them. He is 5-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts at home this season.

Velazquez, who has a 3.80 ERA, is 3-0 in five appearances since missing a turn after being struck in the right forearm by a 96 mph liner by Washington’s Adam Eaton in the second inning of the Nationals’ 3-2 victory June 30.

Velazquez made one of the most remarkable plays of the season after being struck by Eaton’s liner, picking up the ball with his left hand and firing a strike to first base to get Eaton for the final out of the second inning.

Since returning to the rotation July 11, Velazquez has an 0.74 ERA in four starts and an emergency relief appearance, with 13 hits and 22 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. He pitched the final inning of a 7-4 victory over the Dodgers on July 24.

He gave up four runs and four hits, including homers by Alex Avila and Jarrod Dyson, while going 4 2/3 innings in an 8-4 loss to Arizona on April 24 in the teams’ first series this season. Velazquez is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four appearances, two starts, against the Diamondbacks in career.

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