Like a goose in the face: Phillies 4, Nationals 3

Twenty years ago at that time, actor (?) Fabio Lanzoni was riding the roller coaster at Busch Gardens. It seemed like a good and proper distraction until a goose threw herself into the roller coaster trail where she had a fatal encounter with Fabio's face. I realize that the previous two sentences might not make much sense to some readers, so here's a helpful video:

I realize that this still does not make much sense to some of you, and you may be wondering how this relates to Monday's game between the Phillies and the Nationals. Well, try to imagine what happened to this poor goose after hitting Fabio's face. That's basically what happened to baseball when you hit Rhys Hoskins' bat.

Full Disclosure: I was going to find a way to incorporate Fabio 's story to this recap in one way or another. I'm just happy to have found a way to make it work.

Hoskins made two feats on Monday (it's three in two days and five for the season), and the second provided the final margin of victory in a hard-fought 4-3 win. The first two rounds of the Phillies were ensured by Odubel Herrera, who himself was the victim of a deadly hen attack in the fourth inning.

Vince Velasquez made his first start of the season, and although it was not a bad effort (two points earned), he continued his long career, which is not to dive into the games. He accumulated a high number of shots at the beginning of the round and was relieved for a pinch hitter after the fifth inning.

That meant the Phillies needed four lifters to end the game. The first three – Seranthony Dominguez, Adam Morgan and David Robertson – were extremely well launched, leaving a basic runner between them. The ninth inning was handled by Pat Neshek and he was much less dominating. After giving a home round and doubling the first two batters he faced, Neshek calmed down and pulled out the last three batters to win another victory.

The Phillies and the Nationals will be back on Tuesday, while Stephen Strasburg will try to calm Hoskins and the Phillies. Strasbourg has been successful against Hoskins in the past (1-10), but keep in mind that until this fateful day of twenty years ago, the island had succeeded to avoid being killed by actors riding a roller coaster. It shows how things can change suddenly and violently.