Aug 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson (37) celebrates with outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) and second base Bryson Stott (5) after hitting for the cycle in a victory against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
On Pattison's countdown of the 15 best Phillies games of 2024 continues with a historical performance from Weston Wilson.
15) April 16, 2024 - Ranger Suarez throws a complete game shutout
14) September 14, 2024 - The Cal Stevenson game
13) May 18, 2024 - Kody Clemens ninth-inning home run
12) July 9, 2024 - Phillies clobber Dodgers, 10-1, in first game of series sweep
11) June 18, 2024 - Nick Castellanos walk-off double against Padres
10) June 24, 2024 - Phillies turn 1-3-5 triple play
9) April 30, 2024 - Castellanos and Rojas hit ninth-inning bombs against Angels
8) June 3, 2024 - Rhys Hoskins returns to Philly as a Brewer
7) October 6, 2024 - Nick Castellanos NLDS walk-off single
6) September 3, 2024 - Kyle Schwarber hits three home runs in wild comeback win over Toronto
5) April 2, 2024 - Bryce Harper hits three home runs in early-season win over Reds
4) September 1, 2024 - Nick Castellanos walk-off single in 11th inning against Braves
3) June 28, 2024 - Cristopher Sanchez throws a complete game shutout
2) August 15, 2024 - Weston Wilson hits for cycle in 13-3 win over the Nationals
The second-best Phillies game of 2024 barely qualifies as a game. It was more like a party.
Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos hit back-to-back home runs in the first, and the Phillies led 4-0 before the Nationals knew what hit them.
Gotta blast!#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/vVf7gllSWW
Another one, thank you#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/k7MIGMVTDZ
Weston Wilson struck out later in the first inning... That didn't feel particularly notable at the time.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, meanwhile, started throwing up zeros (as Zack Wheeler tends to do). The game was still 4-0 in the third, when the Phanatic presented us with the gift of this video:
So many questions pic.twitter.com/ZJGIM1sZT6
Wilson led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple, the first of five consecutive Phillies batters to get a hit. By the time the smoke cleared in the inning, the Phils led 9-0 and Wilson added a single.
Oh you think that should have been ruled an error? Well I think you should shut your mouth.
Wilson hit a home run his next time up, in the seventh.
Wilsonnnnnn!#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/wy580DgbYL
"Once that happened, I kind of knew there was a chance [for the cycle] if I came back up,” Wilson said after the game.
Wilson did come back up, of course. In the eighth inning, with the entire ballpark looking for the rookie to hit a double to complete the cycle, he did just that.
🚨 CYCLE ALERT 🚨
Have yourself a night, Mr. Wilson! pic.twitter.com/o7oi2r425n
The 30-year-old Wilson certainly has a flair for the dramatic. In August 2023, he hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. (The game is better known for Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter.) And on this day, he cemented a spot in Phillies history as the ninth player in the history of the franchise with a cycle.
#Phillies to Hit for Cycle
- Weston Wilson (2024)*
- J.T. Realmuto (2023)
- David Bell (2004)
- Gregg Jefferies (1995)
- Johnny Callison (1963)
- Chuck Klein (1933, 1931)
- Cy Williams (1927)
- Sam Thompson (1894)
- Lave Cross (1894)
Wilson: 1st Phillies rookie to hit for cycle pic.twitter.com/btsVzOKVig
The Phils went on to win the game by a final score of 13-3.
Whether Wilson will play a significant role for the Phillies in 2025 remains unclear. The team added Max Kepler this offseason in the hopes that the former Twin can play left field most days, and Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh are expected to share time in center. But the lefty-hitting Kepler's career OPS against lefty pitching is just .655. That's higher than Marsh's .582 career OPS against LHP or Johan Rojas' .624, but it's far from ideal.
Collectively, those numbers seemingly leave an opportunity open for a right-handed outfielder like Wilson, who sports a career 1.096 OPS against lefties (albeit in just 60 career plate appearances). Wilson is also a serviceable third baseman defensively, and the Phillies love that kind of versatility.
History at The Bank pic.twitter.com/H4H3GLZOhc
So we'll see what Wilson does next. But no matter what, fans who were at Citizens Bank Park on August 15 can thank him for one hell of a party.
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