Takeaways after Luke Williams hits first big league home run in walk off home run

Rookie Luke Williams was called up by the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in a flurry of roster moves. As it was at first a bit of a risky move, the Phillies found quick success in it.

Williams — also making his first big league start — hit his first major league home run Wednesday night that sent just 13,552 fans at Citizens Bank Park happy as it was a walk off home run to beat the Atlanta Braves.

The dramatic win left the Phils with a 29-31 record.

Here’s three takeaways:

Williams’ walk off blast

Rhys Hoskins started off the bottom of the ninth inning with the Phillies down one with a strikeout looking. To be fair, it wasn’t the best call from Joe West, who needed some glasses Wednesday night as he didn’t have the best night behind the plate. Andrew McCutchen, a batter later, walked as he represented the tying run on first. Brad Miller came in to pinch hit, but he popped up to second base.

And then with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Williams hit an 0-1 81 mph slider 377 feet to left field to win the ball game. It was his first career RBI, home run, and walk off home run. He is just the third Phillie in franchise history for his first big league homer to be a walk off.

Here’s the homer along with his reaction and postgame interview that made everyone tear up:

That just warms your heart up, doesn’t it?

Eflin’s night

Zach Eflin pitched six innings of one-run ball and Ranger Suarez added three innings of scoreless relief.

Nothing doing on offense

The Phillies had just five hits in the game and only two for extra bases. Williams had them both. He doubled in the fourth and of course hit his walk off homer.

Up next

The Phillies will go for the series win over the Braves Thursday afternoon.