Hoskins exacts revenge with record-setting trot

NEW YORK -- All was peaceful between the Mets and Phillies on Wednesday night at Citi Field. Yeah, Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch thrown by Vince Velasquez, and J.T. Realmuto was hit by Jason Vargas, but nothing came of either HBP. However, Rhys Hoskins was able to get sweet revenge off right-hander Jacob Rhame with a two-run homer in the ninth as the Phillies shut out the Mets, 6-0.

“This was a long, hard road trip, and there were some really great things that happened tonight,” manager Gabe Kapler said.

The best thing that happened to the Phillies occured in the ninth inning. It was Rhame who almost hit Hoskins with a high fastball over his head in Tuesday’s game, so as he ran the bases, Hoskins took his sweet time, with a trot clocked at 34.2 seconds. His second-slowest run around the bases took 28.9 seconds.

The 34.2-second trot is the slowest recorded by Statcast since tracking began in 2015, beating the record of 34.1 set by Victor Martinez in 2016.

“Look, if a ball goes over your head the night before, the best way to … get back at the pitcher is by putting the ball in the seats,” Kapler said. “It was worthy of him having that moment, taking it all in, soaking it all in. He deserved that. He earned it.”

Asked if he was sending a message to the Mets as he was slowly running the bases, Hoskins said he was simply enjoying the moment.

“I think to put an exclamation on a win like that when you really needed it, that’s what everyone in here is most excited about,” Hoskins said. "I don’t look at it as a retaliation. I’m trying to put a good at-bat together and move right along like we did the rest of the night. There is a lot being made about this, but at the end of the day, you've got to go on and play the baseball game the way you would normally play the baseball game."

For his part, Rhame didn’t seem all that upset about Hoskins' trot.

“He got me,” Rhame said. “If I make a better pitch, he doesn't get to run the bases. It's his job, man. I'm not really thinking about any of that.

"Going through my mind is, I shouldn't throw one right down the middle to him. That's about it. I had the same game I always do, try to make a pitch. And I did not make that tonight."

Will the tensions carry over into the next time the Mets and Phillies face each other, June 24-27 at Citizens Bank Park?

“Emotions ran high from last night into tonight, and they maintained high throughout the game for us,” Kapler said. “I think emotions will always be high when we play the other teams in the National League East because it’s such a tough division. We know how much every game means.”