Did someone want that guy signed?
Four innings after Rhys Hoskins and Alec Bohm got the party started with big flies to put the Phillies up early, J.T. Realmuto decided to join in on the fun.
His three-run shot to the opposite field in the fifth gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead and their third home run of the day — more than in the first five games combined:
Realmuto’s blast traveled 392 feet at a 106 mph exit velocity, sandwiched between Hoskins and Bohm in both metrics.
It was an unfriendly welcome to the ballgame for Mets reliever Jacob Barnes, whose first pitch out of the bullpen was about as center-cut as a pitch can be. It gave the Phillies a six-run cushion as their bullpen tries to provide five innings for the series victory over the Mets.
For what it’s worth, Realmuto is now hitting .350 with a 1.009 OPS on the early season. On Wednesday, he cracked the home run column, doing his part in the Phillies’ collective game of pepper with the outfield bleachers.