Kyle Schwarber hit two two-run homers and drew a bases-loaded walk as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied for an 11-9, 10-inning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, boosting his season total to a major-league-leading 20.
Schwarber reached 20 homers on the earliest date in MLB history, per Stats Perform, and tied a club mark with 20 homers in the team’s first 45 games, the report says. The slugger deflected attention to the club after the game: “It’s a great question,” Schwarber said, and added that the team had found a little something as well. Bryce Harper, batting behind Schwarber, had four hits, including a tying single after Pirates closer Gregory Soto walked Schwarber on four pitches to pull the Phillies within two.
Schwarber’s homers helped fuel Philadelphia’s comeback from a six-run deficit. He took Pittsburgh right-handed starter Braxton Ashcraft over the fence in the fifth, then turned on a 96 mph fastball from left-hander Mason Montgomery in the seventh to send a ball into the seats in right-center and draw the Phillies within three. The two blasts gave Schwarber nine home runs in his last eight games; it is the second time in his career he’s had that many homers in an eight-game span, and the report says Albert Belle is the only other player in major-league history to do that twice.
In the 10th, backup catcher Rafael Marchan delivered a two-run single, and reliever Orion Kerkering picked up his first save of the season and the third of his career. “There’s so much good that went on today that we were able to respond and fight back,” Schwarber said.
The win pushed Philadelphia’s record to 13-4 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager and pulled the Phillies to within a game of .500 (22-23), the report says. Mattingly praised Schwarber’s consistency: “It’s pretty amazing,” he said. Mattingly will miss Saturday’s game to attend his son’s graduation at Purdue.
Schwarber highlighted one of his more disciplined moments Friday when he let four consecutive sinkers from Soto go by in the ninth rather than swing; he trotted to first and Harper followed with a long single off the top of the wall in right-center to pull Philadelphia even. “One of the cooler things I’ve seen in baseball,” Harper said of Schwarber’s recent stretch.
