Nick Maton bests brother Phil in Phillies' loss to Astros
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Houston reliever Phil Maton faced his younger brother Nick Maton for the first time in the eighth inning. The brothers smiled at one another as Nick entered the box before getting down to business.
Both teams were very engaged in the family showdown with most the players hanging on the railing in the dugouts to watch.
"I kind of just wanted to treat it as another at-bat," Nick said. "Once I got up there, it definitely wasn't like that. It felt like we were in the backyard. Just seeing him out there was pretty fun."
The little brother won matchup, hitting a single to right field on a 2-2 count. Phil shook his head after seeing the ball sail by and Nick smiled sheepishly as he reached first base.
"It was kind of hard to keep it together," Phil said. "But it's a really cool experience. And he won this one."
Players in Philadelphia's dugout raised their arms and cheered as Nick made contact and some Astros hung their heads after seeing the hit drop in the outfield.
Sadly, their mother Ellen Maton wasn't there to see the long-awaited moment. She attended the game but had to leave early to catch a flight.
