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PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins homered for the Milwaukee Brewers in his return to Citizens Bank Park, but David Dahl went deep in his Philadelphia debut to back Zack Wheeler and the Phillies in a 3-1 victory Monday night.

In the opener of a three-game series between National League division leaders, Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas hit consecutive RBI singles in the second inning at the bottom of Philadelphia’s batting order.

Wheeler (7-3) pitched seven strong innings, allowing five hits and three walks. He struck out six.

The only run Wheeler gave up was a homer in the seventh by Hoskins, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Phillies. He was sidelined throughout his final season with the team last year while recovering from a knee injury.

“I think I was able to reel it in a little bit, got right into the at-bat,” Hoskins said of his first at-bat. “I guess there’s something about competing against the people you know that makes you lock in a little bit. But also, the guy on the mound [Wheeler] was pretty good tonight, so you better do that, or you’re probably not going to have too much of a chance.”

In an emotional return, the popular Hoskins was greeted with a standing ovation from the sellout crowd as well as his former Phillies teammates and coaches. He replied by tipping his cap in acknowledgment. The Phillies players on the field all took off their caps and saluted Hoskins. Bryce Harper, whose move to first base this season precipitated the Phillies’ decision not to re-sign Hoskins, applauded.

The Brewers designated hitter acknowledged the fans and did his best to keep his emotions in check, nodding his head and biting his lip as the applause swelled. That first at-bat ended with Hoskins popping out to shortstop, but it was every bit the emotional moment Hoskins had expected.

“I’m kind of a crier,” Hoskins said before the game. “I think it just tells you all you need to know about the energy and emotion that I’ve been able to grab from this place.”

Hoskins, 31, who signed with the Brewers as a free agent in the offseason, was also the talk of the opposing clubhouse, pregame.

“Rhys was here for such a long time and he brought a lot to this city and this team and organization,” Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh said. “I would have hoped that the Bank would welcome him with open arms and [give him] an ovation.”

Considered a clubhouse leader, Hoskins was one of the foundational players of the Phillies’ renaissance. The club was an also-ran when he arrived in August 2017 but became a championship contender in each of the previous two seasons.

A fifth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2014 amateur draft, Hoskins hit 18 home runs in his first 170 major league at-bats and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting despite playing fewer than two months of the season. Hoskins missed the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in spring training. He was trying to get back in time to rejoin his team for the World Series, but the Phillies were beaten in the NLCS by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.

“It was awesome,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said of Hoskins’ return. “The fans showed what this game is all about. Rhys left an impression on this fan base, like he will on ours.”

His seminal moment with Philadelphia came in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS when he hit a home run off Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider. Hoskins slammed his bat to the ground in what has become known as the “bat spike” in Phillies lore.

“The best part about it is that it came in the first playoff game in this stadium in over a decade,” Hoskins said. “I think that’s where that kind of eruption of emotion came from because it was just built up for so long and I drew that right from the fans.”

Hoskins made an impression during his time with the Phillies for his contributions off the field. He and his wife, Jayme, were involved with the Philadelphia community and made the city their home in the offseason.

“He’s a man’s man,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s honest. He has a lot of integrity. He cares about other people. He’s a really talented player, obviously. He plays the game the right way and plays it hard. He’s just a pro’s pro.”

Hoskins hit nine homers in 40 games for Milwaukee but missed a couple weeks with a hamstring strain. Hoskins was reactivated Friday, allowing him to be in the lineup for his Philadelphia homecoming.

“I was so glad to be his teammate,” said Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who played with Hoskins for six years. “He is a great person and was a great leader. I’m glad to see he [got] the ovation from the fans. I’m happy to see him get that.”

Murphy knew what it all meant to his new star.

“It meant a lot to him. He’s a deep kid, and he loves this game,” Murphy said. “And he knows the game has treated him great, and Philly has treated him great.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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‘Cool milestone’: Verlander gets 3,500th career K

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'Cool milestone': Verlander gets 3,500th career K

SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander added another memorable chapter to his legendary pitching career Sunday, yet was hardly in the mood to celebrate.

Verlander struck out the side in the first inning against the Nationals to become the 10th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,500 career strikeouts. Not long after, things began to unravel for the three-time Cy Young Award winner as the Giants dropped an 8-0 decision to Washington in front of 40,000 fans at Oracle Park.

Washington scored four times in the second inning and five overall on 11 hits against Verlander in the latest outing in what has been a season-long struggle for the 42-year-old.

“I was happy to get there, happy to have a moment with the fans,” said Verlander, who is 1-9 in 20 starts with the Giants and has a 4.53 ERA. “Cool milestone. I really appreciate what it’s taken to get there.”

Verlander hasn’t given the Giants much to celebrate this season, though he had been in the best stretch of the season before getting roughed up Sunday. In his three previous games, Verlander had a 0.60 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 15 innings.

He finished with six strikeouts against the Nationals, but spent most of his postgame media session focused on his season rather than the 3,500 strikeouts.

Though acknowledging frustration about his 2025 results, Verlander likened his performances to the 2022 campaign, when he went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA with the Houston Astros en route to winning his third Cy Young.

“Stuff’s great, stuff’s fine,” Verlander said. “I’ve spent a lot of the season looking at comparables. It’s right on par, literally almost up and down the board, with [2022] when I won the Cy Young. So, I think the stuff is just fine. The results have been frustrating.”

With 3,503 career strikeouts after Sunday’s outing, Verlander trails Walter Johnson by 11 strikeouts for ninth most on the all-time list.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Raleigh clubs MLB-best 45th HR in Mariners’ win

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Raleigh clubs MLB-best 45th HR in Mariners' win

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh hit his major-league-leading 45th home run in a four-run first inning, and the Seattle Mariners hung on for a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Raleigh’s two-run shot came off Rays starter Adrian Houser, before Eugenio Suarez added a two-run single for the M’s in the first.

Raleigh, who went 1-for-5, joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners players to hit 45 home runs in a season, according to ESPN Research. Griffey did it 5 times.

Raleigh also moved into a tie with Johnny Bench (1970) at second all time for most homers by a catcher in a season. The Kansas City RoyalsSalvador Perez belted 48 in 2021.

Raleigh homered in all three games of the series.

Sunday’s win was Seattle’s seventh straight, the longest active run in the American League. Josh Naylor also homered for the M’s, who wrapped up a 9-1 homestand.

Seattle starter Bryan Woo (10-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. It was his 23rd start this season of six innings or more. Woo, who walked one batter, also tied the MLB record set by Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal in 1968 for the most consecutive games at the start of the season pitching that long and also allowing two walks or fewer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Van Gisbergen wins for fourth time this season

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Van Gisbergen wins for fourth time this season

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Shane van Gisbergen earned his fourth victory this season, blowing out the competition again at Watkins Glen International.

The Trackhouse Racing driver joined 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to win four consecutive Cup races on road or street courses.

Unlike his prior wins at Mexico City, Chicago and Sonoma, van Gisbergen was unable to qualify from the pole position after he was nipped by Ryan Blaney. The Auckland, New Zealand, native bided his team after starting second, taking his first lead on Lap 25 of 90 and then settling into a typically flawless and smooth rhythm on the 2.45-mile road course.

The rookie made his final pit stop with 27 laps remaining and cycled into first place on Lap 74 of a clean race with only three yellow flags. Cruising to a big lead while leading the final 17 laps, van Gisbergen beat Christopher Bell by 11.116 seconds. Chris Buescher finished third, followed by William Byron and Chase Briscoe.

With five victories in only 38 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series, van Gisbergen trails only Elliott (seven wins) and Kyle Larson (six) among active drivers on street or road courses.

The win validated the decision by Trackhouse to sign van Gisbergen to a multiyear contract extension last week.

Feisty Gibbs

It was another frustrating race for Ty Gibbs, who spun John Hunter Nemechek late in Stage 2 and then complained about the handling and strategy of his No. 54 Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart, who recently began working as a strategist and consultant to Gibbs’ team, radioed the driver to “stay in the game” after the Nemechek wreck and later took issue after Gibbs questioned his team’s strategy.

“I’m sure you’ve got a real good understanding from inside the car,” Gabehart told Gibbs on the radio. “So you can call the strategy if you want, or we can keep rolling.”

Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, finished 33rd and remained winless since moving into Cup after winning the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. Teammates Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Bell each have qualified for the playoffs with victories this season.

Up next

The Cup Series will race Saturday, Aug. 16 at Richmond Raceway, which will play host to its only NASCAR race weekend this season. The 0.75-mile oval had two annual races on the Cup schedule from 1959-2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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