Derek Hill robs Juan Soto with dazzling catch to make another big impression on Phillies

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Hill made quite a first impression with the Philadelphia Phillies by hitting dramatic ninth-inning homers in consecutive games this week.

He might have made an even more lasting impact on his new teammates with an incredible catch Friday night.

Hill made a spectacular grab to rob Juan Soto of a two-run homer in the first inning, helping Zack Wheeler and the Phillies to a 2-1 victory over the staggering New York Mets.

“Best one I’ve ever seen in person,” Wheeler said.

The Phillies scored once in the top of the first off Mets rookie Zach Thornton but left two runners on before Soto launched what appeared to be a go-ahead homer to right-center in the bottom half.

Hill, racing at full speed, leaped at the wall and snared Soto’s drive high above the fence.

“Unbelievable catch,” Soto said. “When you see the replays, you see how impressive it was. He didn’t have any time. He just went straight to the wall and jumped. That was incredible.”

Wheeler smiled on the mound before Hill exchanged high-fives and chest bumps with right fielder Brandon Marsh.

“That was unbelievable,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “The replay, almost even better.”

The crowd of 39,077 at Citi Field agreed with Mattingly, gasping and even applauding some when the highlight was shown on the large videoboard in center.

“I just kind of blacked out on it — just pure instinct and what not,” Hill said. “But I knew I had a chance because the wind was kind of knocking things down a little bit today.”

The catch was the latest bit of misfortune for the Mets, who lost their seventh consecutive game in Andy Green’s debut as interim manager.

Green replaced Carlos Mendoza, who was fired Friday morning after the high-priced Mets reached the season’s midpoint at 34-47 and 9 1/2 games back of the last NL wild-card berth.

“I do think that was one of the more ridiculous catches I’ve ever seen,” Green said.

Hill said it was the best catch he’s made in a seven-year big league career — especially since he robbed Soto, a four-time All-Star.

“Obviously, the guy I did it against makes it a little bit cooler,” Hill said.

Asked what he said to Hill after the inning, Wheeler grinned.

"`Thank you very much,’” Wheeler said.

The defensive gem added to a memorable three days for Hill, who hit the go-ahead homer in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday before he capped a five-run ninth Thursday with another two-run shot in a 10-5 victory.

Hill also singled leading off the seventh Friday and scored the tiebreaking run on Trea Turner’s two-out single off Huascar Brazobán. Hill is batting .357 in 12 games with the Phillies since he was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for cash on June 11.

“We saw him and identified him as a guy that can help us,” Mattingly said. “You see the defense. You see the speed. The at-bats have been good. Everything’s obviously really good.”

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Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill celebrates his two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill, right, celebrates his two-run home run with J.T. Realmuto, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill celebrates his two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill gestures to the crowd after a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Norway striker Erling Haaland and nine of the team's other regular starters needed rest more than a first-place finish in their World Cup group.

“It’s a no-brainer," coach Ståle Solbakken said Friday after a 4-1 loss to France left the Norwegians in second place in the group. "The fans around Norway and also in the arena would have liked to see Erling. But that is not really the issue. We want to proceed as long as we can in the tournament.”

Already in the knockout round but with a chance to win the group with a victory over France on Friday, Solbakken decided to rest 10 of the players who started the previous game. France, which won the World Cup in 2018 and lost in the final four years ago, took a 3-1 lead on Ousmane Dembélé's first-half hat trick, and earned a round of 32 matchup with a third-place team.

“I would lie if I said that I wasn’t a little bit surprised, for sure,” France defender Jules Koundé said. “No matter which player we have in front of us, we are always trying to do our best and win. We wanted to finish first on the table and that’s what we did, so pretty happy about it.”

Norway would have needed to beat France to win the group because they trailed on goal difference heading into the match. Instead, Norway will next face the Ivory Coast, also second-place finisher, on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

Solbakken said the team's short break after Monday's victory over Senegal convinced him it was more important to rest his regulars than go for the victory. Among the changes, Egil Selvik was in goal in place of Orjan Nyland against France's regular lineup.

“I think it’s smart,” midfielder Patrick Berg said. “It’s hopefully for us a long tournament. So being able to rest somebody and at the same time give somebody — who has been here for some weeks now, training really hard — give them the opportunity to perform against one of the best teams, I think it was a win-win situation for us.”

Haaland, a Manchester City forward who has been the Premier League's leading scorer three of the last four seasons, entered the day with four World Cup goals, tied for second with Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and France’s Kylian Mbappé, and trailing only Argentina's Lionel Messi.

But Norwegian fans who spent thousands to travel to the United States and even more for their match tickets were deprived of seeing one of the World Cup's star attractions.

“I feel this consideration,” Solbakken said. “But we have given them a couple of victories, and we are giving them an opportunity to watch more games ... We are here to proceed as long as we can. And I need to make decisions to proceed as long as possible.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Norway's Erling Haaland (9), foreground, and his teammates sing the national anthem before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland, left, greet each other before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland and Martin Oedegaard, right, take their seats on the bench before during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland applauds at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland and France's Desire Doue, left, shake hands at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)