When the Phillies unveiled their lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Braves, one move immediately raised eyebrows. Facing 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale, manager Rob Thomson looked to get more right-handed bats in the lineup. That decision led to a bold experiment starting Edmundo Sosa in left field for the first time in his professional career.
It was a gamble, but not for the reason you might think.
Sosa’s Jaw-Dropping Home Run Robbery
The Phillies struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Braves were ready to answer. With two outs, Marcell Ozuna crushed a deep fly ball to left field—102.8 mph off the bat, heading straight for the bullpen.
Then, Sosa happened.
Despite never starting in the outfield before, he tracked the ball perfectly, sprinting to the wall and timing his jump to absolute perfection. At the last moment, he reached over the fence and pulled the ball back, robbing Ozuna of a sure home run and leaving Truist Park stunned.
It was the kind of play that makes highlight reels for years.
From Hero to Heartbreaker
But baseball has a way of keeping things interesting.
Just an inning later, Sosa’s outfield inexperience showed. A routine fly ball into left-center led to a miscommunication with Johan Rojas, causing the ball to drop between them for an ugly double. That mistake proved costly.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who had been cruising with a 13-game streak of six or more innings with two or fewer earned runs, suddenly found himself in trouble. Moments later, Braves catcher Sean Murphy made the Phillies pay, launching a three-run homer that no one—not even Sosa—could bring back.
Sosa’s Hot Streak Continues
Despite the defensive miscue, Sosa remains one of the Phillies’ hottest hitters. Entering the game, he was batting .550 with a 1.321 OPS, already delivering big moments this season—including Sunday’s game-winning hit against the Dodgers.
Tuesday’s game had its highs and lows for Sosa, but one thing is certain: his home-run robbery is already a contender for the Phillies’ play of the year.
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