Nola tosses 7 scoreless in Phillies' 6-2 win over Mets

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins likes the feeling when the Phillies send ace Aaron Nola out for his start

“We’re always confident when No. 27 is on the mound,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins — at last — was able to help out Nola with a sorely needed boost at the plate and perhaps quiet the doubters after a slow start to the season.

Hoskins shook off a slump with a three-RBI double, Jean Segura homered and Nola tossed seven scoreless innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-2 win over the New York Mets on Saturday night.

Hoskins, once a feared slugger, has seen his production dramatically dip since the All-Star break last season and the worthiness of his spot in the lineup has been a daily question for manager Joe Girardi.

“I’m not worried about Rhys,” Girardi said before the game.

He was on to something. Hoskins broke the game open in the fifth with a shot to right-center off Steven Matz (0-4) that cleared the bases and gave the Phillies a 5-0 lead. Hoskins hit 18 homers in just 50 games in 2017, 34 in 2018 and 29 last year — but has none this season. He only had one RBI this year and tied an ignominious franchise record this week when he grounded into three double plays in one game.

“I think any time you barrel a baseball, it feels good,” Hoskins said.

Matz allowed eight runs against the Nationals his last time out and seemed to have figured himself out early in this one. Segura hit a solo homer in the second for the 1-0 lead, but that was the only hit the lefty allowed until the fifth.

He walked Andrew McCutchen (batting just .184) with the bases loaded before allowing Hoskins -- his average hovering around .200 all season -- to rip his double. Hoskins scored on Bryce Harper’s head-first slide into second base for an RBI double and a 6-0...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Nola-tosses-7-scoreless-in-Phillies-6-2-win-over-15487055.php