NL DIVISION SERIES: PHILLIES VS BRAVES

October 14, 2022

Rhys Hoskins

Bryce Harper

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 3 Press Conference

Phillies - 9, Braves - 1

Q. Rhys, quite an emotional home run for you. Was it the moment? Was it releasing a little bit of postseason frustration? What was all that about?

RHYS HOSKINS: I think it was just the moment, man. It's obviously something that I've heard about for a long time. Debuting in 2017, seeing pictures, hearing stories, being around guys that were there, spring training, that type of thing.

I didn't know what I did until a couple innings later, really. It's just something that came out, just raw. But God, it was fun.

Q. Rhys, you've been struggling at the plate or at least you haven't had results at the plate. And talked about the missed play, whatever in Game 2. Do you think that that fueled your energy right then?

RHYS HOSKINS: I think if we're at this point and you need something to fuel, probably not in a good position. At the end of the day, it's about winning games as a team for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sure, couple things have gone awry, the results haven't been there at the plate, but I think the good thing about a team is you're able to absorb mistakes as a team and that's what we've done.

Q. Bryce, in that moment, what is your reaction? And could you give us, as a bat flipper, could you rate Rhys' bat slam?

BRYCE HARPER: I threw my bat at the same time that Rhys did and my helmet. I was really excited. I think just having the opportunity to, like Rhys said, be here and understanding why you're here and playing as a team, playing as a city, playing for the people that are around you each day, organizationally.

He's been in this organization for a long time, just like Nols. And for those two guys to be able to do that in that first playoff game at home, it's unbelievable. I mean I got chills sitting here thinking about it again.

But it's a really cool moment. Just really cool to be part of it and just have the opportunity to do it each day.

Q. Talk first of all when you face a pitcher who's got a pitch count, how important was it to get to him early as you did? Number two, talk about the position you find yourselves right now with a chance to clinch and advance to the championship series.

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, Strider is really good. He's been really good all year. He's had a great year. I imagine him and Harris will be up for the NL Rookie of the Year. We've tried to have the best at-bats against him, knowing he might be on the pitch count, knowing he might not go as far as they might want him to or he might want to.

But we were just trying to get the best swings we could on him, but go deep in the counts, too. Because we don't want to see him past that second or third inning, of course, because he's very good.

So being able to have that at-bat by Stott, that kind of --

RHYS HOSKINS: Huge.

BRYCE HARPER: Erupted a little bit, and then Rhys comes up, hits the three-run shot and just snowballed from there.

Having a rookie who is able to do that is absolutely huge. Another Philly guy coming through, homegrown kid. Really fun to be able to see that.

Like you said, one game away. This is what it's all about. We have an opportunity to clinch at home. And we have an opportunity to come out and hopefully strike first.

I mean, the crowd tonight was incredible. Absolutely insane. Electric. Nothing that I could have ever dreamed about. It was whoa. It was chills again because that was unbelievably cool. I hope it's like that for the next two weeks.

Hopefully we're playing through this and doing this and they showed out. It was really, really cool. I can't stop thinking about it, gushing about it because that was amazing.

Q. For the amount of time you guys spent on the road near the end of the regular season in these first two playoff series, how much did coming back here energize the bats and get you guys going?

RHYS HOSKINS: I think, look, when we set out -- what, three weeks ago now -- with the goal of being on the road for 20 straight days. Like that was always the goal. And as we got further along into the road trip, we realized that was going to be the reality.

It's always good to be home, though, whether it's just sleeping in your own bed or being around the people that you love, just being able to walk into the clubhouse and sit at your own locker, I think it just kind of settles you a little bit. We obviously know what it looks like to hit here. Know how the box is, all the little things that just add to the comfort of being ready to play.

And I think like Bryce said, right, like we knew the crowd was going to be a factor, a huge factor. We heard about it. And like Bryce said, too, it blew expectations.

It was a huge part, I think, of the victory because as stuff starts to snowball and they get louder, then more good things happen and they get louder. So we'll see if we can continue that tomorrow.

Q. Everybody has slumps, feeding off that?

RHYS HOSKINS: Exactly, energy, energy, energy. God, it was loud.

BRYCE HARPER: So loud.

Q. Rhys, as you were rounding the bases, crossing the plate, looked like you and Bryce had a moment there. What did Bryce say to you?

BRYCE HARPER: What did I say?

RHYS HOSKINS: We ain't losing.

Q. What?

RHYS HOSKINS: He said, we ain't losing. He's been saying it, first day in St. Louis. I think it's the belief that he has in us. It's the belief we have in each other.

(To Harper) You want to do it again?

BRYCE HARPER: Let's do it again.

RHYS HOSKINS: Let's do it again.

Q. Aaron's been followed around by the way he pitched in September the last few years. Now, in October, hasn't allowed a run in three starts. As someone that's known him for a long time, what can you say about the way he's pitched this month and maybe the concerns he's quieted?

RHYS HOSKINS: A, I'm not surprised. I've seen this guy go about his work on the day that he pitches and on the days that he doesn't pitch for five, six straight years and nobody's as consistent as Aaron Nola. He puts himself in the best position to succeed once he toes the rubber.

And I think you've seen this month, in October, with the clincher in Houston and in St. Louis and now tonight, there's no moment too big for him. And he's as good a competitor as anybody.

Obviously extremely happy for him and proud of him that he's able to put us in a position to win. But I don't think anybody in that clubhouse is surprised.

Q. Rhys or Bryce, this journey you guys have embarked since September 25th, when you left here, and did you ever imagine in your wildest dreams that you'd end up in the situation you guys are in right now?

BRYCE HARPER: Yeah, actually, we did. I didn't think there was any doubt. I really don't. Every single time we were able to get to the field each night we were trying to win trying to get back to where we are right now.

Like you said, that's a long roady. You go on the road 19, 20 days, never seen that before. For us to come back here and take the home field advantage away from Atlanta at home and come back here, win game one here, is huge. And we have an opportunity to clinch tomorrow. We're excited about that opportunity tomorrow. We can't wait. Excited to be back home in front of this fan base. Like I said, we want to be able to do this for the next two weeks.

Q. I'm sure you saw the reaction to Shane Victorino before he came out to throw the first pitch. They played a clip of his grand slam in the National League Division Series, I guess it was. Have you thought about the fact that this could be your moment up there at some point in the future?

RHYS HOSKINS: No, I haven't thought about it yet. I've been telling guys, right, like, your moment's coming. Your moment's coming. And I've been telling myself that too.

I think a little bit of an anticipation of that is something that will make you a little bit more ready for it. And I just think it's crazy how one swing of the bat can change, for good or for bad.

Obviously tonight was on the good side. But I think it just goes for everybody that's playing right now. Either you're one swing away or one pitch away. Yeah, one pitch away.

Q. Rhys, Aaron was in here before, and he said he never sees you hang your head; you're always pushing through, thinking about the next play. What's the secret to sort of having that sort of a focus and not letting miscues get you down?

RHYS HOSKINS: I've learned that it's already on its way, the next one is already on the way. You've got no time, in this league; the caliber of player's too good. The ball will find you just because that's how the game goes.

You have to be ready. Right? Like, whatever happens, there's usually more game afterward. And it's hard. It's a hard thing. This game can beat you down, we all know that.

When you have a group of guys around you that you can rally around or stick with or attach yourself to, when things aren't going well, it makes it a little bit easier. And I think, like I said when I led off, it's about winning games. That's it. It's about winning games at the end of the day regardless of what you have done or have not done.

I think if we can keep that focus, it makes the tough times a little bit easier.

Q. I know you said you don't need extra motivation at a time like this, but when they intentionally walk the guy in front of you obviously trying to set up a double play, are you thinking anything when you walk up to the plate, or when you make them pay with one pitch, is there anything to that?

RHYS HOSKINS: Yes, of course. I'm human. I'm a competitor. They're obviously telling me something right away before I even step in the box. So I'm ready to compete. And I think when you light a little bit of a fire under somebody, tend to hone in and focus a little bit more and just didn't miss.

Q. The younger players have stepped up for you so often this season. Did it feel kind of fitting that it was Stotts' double that started that six-run rally in the third inning?

RHYS HOSKINS: We could talk about Marsh's walk too, right? We got a lot of contributions all over the field tonight from guys that this is their first year. This is their first playoff experience. And I think -- I'll repeat this -- but I'm not surprised by any means.

We've seen Stotts' slow heartbeat all year. He's had really, really good at-bats basically from, what, May, the middle of May on, and we saw pretty early in St. Louis that the moment was not going to be too big for him. But we're going to need contributions all over the field. Young, not young, and it's cool to see these guys go out and compete the way they are.