CINCINNATI _ A few hours before a 9-4 win over the Reds, Gabe Kapler met with one of his players in his office Thursday at Great American Ballpark.
The player, Kapler said as he retold the story without naming him, told the manager how confident the team was after the Phillies took two of three from the Dodgers before flying to Cincinnati. He wanted Kapler to know how much the youngest team in baseball had gained from standing up to one of baseball's best teams.
And more than anything else, the player seemed to echo the sentiment that this Phillies team _ which added a game to its division lead _ fully believes that it is for real.
The young Phillies are not low on confidence. They hammered the Reds for seven homers to tie a franchise record. They had 18 hits, 10 of which were for extra bases. They sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning, which forced Ranger Suarez to have his first major-league at-bat before throwing his first major-league pitch. And when Suarez faltered, the Phillies rallied again.
Rhys Hoskins, Maikel Franco, and Nick Williams each homered twice. Hoskins has six homers in his last six games and it was Franco's second multi-homer game in three days. Williams had four hits. The trade deadline is Tuesday and the Phillies can begin to think of upgrading someplace other than third base and right field.
Kapler used five relievers to piece together four scoreless innings after Suarez allowed four runs in five innings. Suarez became the first left-hander to start for the Phillies since September 2016, snapping a 267-game stretch of games started by right-handers.
Hoskins became the 11th Phillies outfielder age 25 or younger to reach 20 homers in a season. Of those 20, 14 have come in his last 41 games since returning from the disabled list. Hoskins is on a tear, surging much like he did last season when he stormed into the majors. But this time, the tear is changing the outcome of meaningful games. The win pushed the Phillies to a 2{-game lead over the Braves in the National League East. Hoskins is a bona fide lineup threat and the type of hitter that the Phillies could ride to October.
And it wouldn't hurt to have Franco's assistance down the stretch. He is batting .344 with eight homers in his last 96 at-bats over 28 games. He, like Hoskins, is on a roll. All signs are pointing to a crucial development for Franco as he may have finally turned the corner in his career.
The Phillies built their lineup this offseason with the hope that it could hit for power. But their offense limped through the first half and stood in first place at the All-Star break thanks to stellar pitching. Perhaps that offense is finally starting to click.
Carlos Santana homered Thursday and is starting to hit for power along with reaching base at a high rate. Williams increased his season OPS to an even .800 as he looks worthy of an everyday role. Jorge Alfaro had three hits and a double. Scott Kingery had two hits and a double. The clubhouse, as that player told Kapler, is brimming with confidence. And there's plenty of reasons why.
