For the Phillies, "There's Nothing Like Playing at Home," Says Rhys Hoskins

The Philadelphia Phillies are ready to take a stand at home after they split the first two games of the NLCS in San Diego.

There's no place like home for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last week, for the first time in over a decade, the 2022 Phillies were privy to what makes Philadelphia the greatest sports town on earth. Citizens Bank Park was bursting at the seams with fans waving their sea of red rally towels, ready to watch the team clinch their first NLCS berth since 2010. They did just that in the short span of two home games, stunning the reigning World Champion Atlanta Braves.

Unfortunately, their stay at home was brief. Two days later, it was time for the Phils to depart for the road once again as they headed to San Diego, where they would eventually split the first two games of the NLCS against the Padres.

Now they begin a weekend set for the ages, as the gang returns home for a three-game stretch which—good or bad—is sure to etch itself into the Phillies' history books.

"There's nothing like playing at home," Phillies' first baseman Rhys Hoskins said on Friday. "Especially we got a little taste of it last weekend. We've been talking about it ever since... we're pretty confident coming into this weekend."

The Philadelphia crowd presents an undeniable advantage for the Phillies. Countless Padres analysts and fans alike exclaimed how electrifying the atmosphere in Petco Park had been during the Padres' rout of the Dodgers during the NLDS, but it didn't hold a candle to the decibel level the Phillies experienced on their home ground.

It's that ever-present roar of the Philly faithful that could power their team to the World Series this weekend. Admittedly, that chance is slim. The Phillies have two less-than-ideal pitching matchups coming over their next two games, and the last thing the team would want to do is head back to San Diego with a lopsided record favoring the Padres.

But, the team is going to have 45,000 voices behind them from Friday through Sunday. 45,000 red rally towels at their backs, charging with them into battle. 45,000 fans who eat, sleep, and breathe baseball, and just want to see the Phillies claim their place in the Fall Classic once again.

So, strap on your ruby slippers, click your heels three times, and make a wish. Friday kicks off one of the most important weekends in Philadelphia Phillies' history.

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