Philadelphia Phillies: Rhys Hoskins is a perfect partner for Bryce Harper

After hitting his fifth home run in nine games, it’s clear Rhys Hoskins is the perfect partner for Bryce Harper in the Philadelphia Phillies’ cleanup spot.

When Rhys Hoskins entered the batter’s box in the sixth inning of the Philadelphia Phillies‘ eventual 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals, it was anyone’s ball game.

All tied up at 2, Hoskins entered the box with one out, looking for some sort of spark to give Gabe Kapler‘s offense an edge; and boy did he ever find it.

A true disciple of Kapler’s ‘Money Ball’ ways, Hoskins worked Anibal Sanchez into a six-pitch full count; a position of power for a certified slugger.

More from Philadelphia Phillies

• The Real Reason Behind Trea Turner’s Recent Hot Streak
• VIDEO: Bryce Harper Hustles for Inside-the-Park Home Run vs. Giants
• Phillies Fans Let Ex-Manager Gabe Kapler Hear It in First Inning
• Andrew Knapp Finds New MLB Home With AL Contender
• VIDEO: Phillies Send Touching Message to Media Little League Team Before World Series

After taking an 86 mph splitter wide right for a ball, Sanchez threw the exact same pitch right down the middle, and Hoskins made him pay; launching the ball out into the left-field bleachers for a solo home run.

But that wasn’t the end of Hoskins’ brilliance at the plate

No, on his very next at-bat, two innings later at the top of the eight, Hoskins did it again, this time sending a 92 mph four-seemer from reliever Justin Miller into left field (again) affording yet another fan in the 140s a solo home run souvenir; his fifth of the season.

And just like that, the Phillies dominance over the Nats continued, as the team pulled out a 4-3 W one inning later.

Sure, the Nationals made it interesting, as second basemen Brian Dozier hit his own solo home run to center field in Pat Neshek‘s first potential save of the season, but three outs later, the game was officially in the win column, bringing the Phillies current record against Bryce Harper‘s former club to 2-1.

That’s the beauty of the Phillies current roster; they don’t have to win or lose by one player alone.

Don’t get me wrong, Harper will in all likelihood be the face of this club for the next decade and change (he did sign a 13-year contract after all) but pairing the three-hole hitter with a certified slugger like Hoskins one spot later just makes sense and highlights the brilliance of Matt Klentak’s roster construction.

While many opposing skippers would feel more than comfortable walking the MLB’s current MVP favorite to avoid an ugly placement on SportsCenter, that proposition becomes much, much harder to stomach when a player like Hoskins takes the plate one spot later.

Why put an additional batter on-base and turn Hoskins’ solo home run into a two-run shot?

So even though there’s no guarantee that either Bryce Harper or Rhys Hoskins will go off on any given night, hitting multiple homers or driving in a half-dozen runs, pairing the two together in the 3-4 spot vastly improves the Philadelphia Phillies’ offensive potential moving forward.