Sosa returns 'a hero' with game-winning hit

PHILADELPHIA -- Edmundo Sosa made a statement in his return to the Phillies' lineup in Friday night’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.

Literally.

"I know I have pretty good defense, but people need to know that Edmundo Sosa also has a bat," Sosa said via translator Diego Ettedgui. "I'm ready to hit, too."

In his first game action in nearly a week, Sosa put his entire repertoire on display in the late innings. After delivering the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, he snagged a blistering liner for the second out in the top of the ninth before tracking down a blooper in shallow left field to seal the win.

Sosa had been sidelined since departing last Saturday's loss against the Reds due to back stiffness. His back tightened up again during a workout a few days ago, prompting the Phillies to send him to see a doctor on Wednesday in Chicago.

Yet from hopping out of the batter's box on what he thought was a three-run homer in the fourth inning, to roping the game-winning hit, to making a leaping grab on C.J. Cron's 111.6 mph scorcher in the ninth, Sosa showed no signs of being slowed by a back issue.

Oh, and about that fourth-inning bat flip on what proved to be a 104.8 mph, 371-foot flyout to the warning track?

"That's the way baseball is sometimes," Sosa said. "Sometimes you've got to be a villain, sometimes you've got to be a hero. That inning, I was a villain. But in the eighth, I was a hero."

Strangely enough, Sosa -- who admitted he thought his fourth-inning shot was uncatchable -- thought his game-winning hit was going to be caught. But Rockies left fielder Jurickson Profar initially broke backward and couldn't recover in time to make the play on a ball that had a 95% catch probability, per Statcast.

"I thought he was going to catch it," Sosa said. "Profar is a very athletic player. He's known for making plays like that. I thought he was going to catch it."

Instead, the ball skipped into Profar's glove as he laid out. J.T. Realmuto, who started the inning with a leadoff double and stole third base, pumped his fist as he crossed the plate, all while Sosa unleashed a wild celebration in the direction of the home dugout.

"He does the celebration thing [swipes across his chest] and all that stuff," manager Rob Thomson said. "He's flying around the field and has a lot of fun when he's playing. ... He's very quiet, but when he's on the field -- it's electric."

Sosa's teammates feed off his energy.

"Great player," said Kyle Schwarber, who hit a game-tying solo homer in the seventh to set up Sosa's heroics. "He brought energy to us last year and he's doing it again this year."

"He's awesome," added Aaron Nola, who settled in to toss six scoreless innings after allowing a three-run homer in the first. "He works so hard. A lot of energy. Just a good baseball player."

Growing up in Panama, this is the way Sosa learned to approach the sport -- and it’s the only way he’s ever played the game.

“You've got to bring energy every day,” Sosa said. “You've got to help your team, you've got to pump them up. You've got to give 100% every single day. So that's the way I play."

But remember, Sosa isn’t just an elite defender or an energy guy or a good teammate.

After being acquired from the Cardinals at last year’s Trade Deadline, Sosa immediately went to work with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long. He made some small tweaks, and he’s spent countless hours in the cage since.

Albeit a small sample size, the results speak for themselves. Sosa, who slashed .189/.244/.270 in 53 games with the Cards last season, has a .326/.354/.596 slash line (.950 OPS) since joining the Phillies. He's hitting .343 (12-for-35) with two homers and a .968 OPS this season.

“It was really, originally, the defense. He's an elite defender,” Thomson said of acquiring Sosa. “K-Long saw some stuff he might be able to help him with with his offense -- and he has. He's becoming an offensive force.”

Sosa’s all-around game will likely keep him in the lineup at third base on most nights for the time being. It’s an opportunity he’s not taking for granted.

“I feel like I'm home here,” Sosa said. “I feel at home, I feel comfortable. I love my teammates.”

They love him, too -- and not just for his glove.