Phillies ball boy bare hands Kyle Schwarber foul chopper

Francis and the rest of the players on the field watched as the ball boy made the play. After handing the ball to a team manager, the ball boy received applause from the home crowd and the announcers commentating the game. That play started a comeback in the fourth inning. Philadelphia took advantage of Francis’ shaky control to score two runs on a walk and a hit by pitch.

Max Kepler hit a go-ahead solo home run to seal the deal for the Phillies. Thomson’s team is now 41-29, three and a half games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.

Even without Aaron Nola in Philadelphia’s rotation, the team has played well. Despite suffering a sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Phillies still hold a large lead for second in their division. Now, Philadelphia is on a three-game winning streak. They have a good chance at extending it to six games before taking on the Mets next weekend.

Philadelphia needs a good showing against their divisional rival. New York swept them in their first series of the season. Despite the drama that clouded the three-game set, the Phillies walked away with three wins. Thomson’s team has developed more rhythm since then, though.

While the ball boy will not play for the Phillies moving forward, he could have an impact. His play boosted the team’s morale and helped them win on Saturday. If he needs to keep making plays in order to secure victories, Thomson and Philadelphia is all for it.