‘I’m still trying to process things’ – NBC10 Philadelphia

2024-08-17 11:15:02

Weston Wilson was a 28-year-old rookie with over 2,500 minor league at bats when he made his Major League debut against the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 9, 2023.

In his first at bat, he homered and you’d think that would be enough to be the postgame interview on television and experience the thrill of having icy water trickled down your back by giggling teammates. But no. Michael Lorenzen pitched a no-hitter that day.

A year and a week later, with the Nationals once again at Citizens Bank Park, Wilson got a rare start in place of Brandon Marsh in left because it was the first of three straight games the Phillies will face a lefthanded starter.

This time he tripled in the fourth and then reached on an infield single as the Phillies batted around in what turned out to be a 13-3 win over the Nats. He homered in the seventh. He then completed the cycle by doubling with one out in the eighth.

That made him the first Phillies player since J.T. Realmuto (June 12, 2023 at Arizona) to achieve that distinction and the first to do it at Citizens Bank Park since David Bell (June 28, 2004) against the Montreal Expos. Yes, the franchise that became the Washington Nationals the following season.

He’s also the first Phillies rookie ever to hit for the cycle.

As he came to the plate in the eighth to face Washington righthander Orlando Ribalta, he knew exactly what was on the line. “I was aware because (Bryce) Harper was on the top step of the dugout letting me know. ‘If you hit it, keep running. Don’t stop until you get to second,’” he said with a laugh.

Fans were also keeping him updated as he waited in the on deck circle.

Ribalta threw him a 2-2 fastball up and on the outer part of the plate and Wilson drove it the opposite way. For a heart-stopping moment it looked as though rightfielder Alex Call had robbed him with a circus catch, but the ball trickled out of his glove and he went into second standing up.

“He’s robbed me plenty of times in the minor leagues,” Wilson said. “I thought it was more in the gap. Then I saw him closing in and thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Fortunately he didn’t catch it.”

The sellout crowd, which included his wife Madison, gave him a standing ovation.

It all started with the triple off Washington starter Mitchell Parker, but he almost didn’t make it after the ball deflected off the right field wall.

“I kind of had a trip-up around second base and almost ate it a little bit,” he said. “I didn’t see the ball coming back toward me because of the video board. I thought (Call) was right on the ball so I was taking a direct line to second base. Then as I was further out I saw him coming toward the infield for the ball and that’s when I took off.”

By the time he came up again, righthander Eduardo Salazar was in the game. This time he hit a blooper off the fists that fell in front of second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., who ended up not having a play.

“I saw breaking ball spin and it kind of went the opposite way,” Wilson said. “It came in to me versus breaking back over the plate. I honestly don’t know how I hit it. I probably hit that ball 50 miles an hour off the bat.”

He was close. Officially, the exit velocity was 43.1 miles an hour.

The homer in the seventh came on a first-pitch fastball from Tanner Rainey. “Once that happened I kind of knew there was a chance if I came back up. I didn’t know if I would get an at bat. Some things had to work out for me to get back up,” he said.

Wilson said he turned most of his equipment over the MLB, including his bat, to be authenticated but that he kept his batting gloves. “I wanted something, but I figured they’d want the bat,” he said. “I’ve got to figure that out. It’s honestly kind of a blur to me right now. I’m still trying to process things.”

And, yes, this time he was on the Star of the Game postgame show. “It was very cool,” he said. “I’ve seen it a lot of times on videos. I’m just grateful to have a team like we do and be able to share that with everybody.”