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Kyle Schwarber has made a career of crushing baseballs in big moments, and Sunday night in Cleveland was no different. In a 3-0 victory over the Guardians on Sunday Night Baseball, Schwarber launched two home runs to power the Phillies to their fifth consecutive series win. The blasts were his 13th and 14th of the year, tying him with Aaron Judge for the Major League lead.
Schwarber wasted no time extending his MLB-best on-base streak to 46 games. In the top of the second inning, he demolished a 392-foot solo shot off Guardians starter Luis L. Ortiz. Three pitches in, Schwarber made it clear that he was locked in for the night.
And he wasn’t done.
With the Phillies clinging to a 1-0 lead in the eighth, Schwarber delivered again, this time tagging reliever Tim Herrin for a two-run homer that gave Philadelphia the breathing room it needed. The second bomb traveled 397 feet with a 112.5 mph exit velocity — vintage Schwarber.
Kyle Schwarber's second 💣 of the night ties Aaron Judge for the Major League home run lead with 14! pic.twitter.com/O5Q14WoZ94
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2025
“It’s so impressive because he takes what the pitcher gives him,” manager Rob Thomson said. “If they want to nibble, he’ll walk. But if they pitch to him, he’ll put it in the seats.”
Kyle Schwarber continues to crush the baseball, leads Phillies past Guardians
The multi-homer game was Schwarber’s 18th since the start of 2022, second only to Judge’s 25 in that span. He’s now hitting .262 with 16 home runs and 37 RBIs during his streak, and he continues to be a model of consistency and production.
Perhaps most notable is the veteran slugger’s newfound success against left-handed pitching. Once a weakness in his game, Schwarber entered Sunday slashing .306/.443/.735 against southpaws this season — a transformation credited in part to hitting coach Kevin Long.
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“It’s rare to see guys make that kind of jump mid-career,” Thomson said. “But Kyle’s bought in, and he’s really evolved as a hitter.”
Behind Schwarber’s offense, ace Zack Wheeler dominated yet again. The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out eight. Though Wheeler admitted he felt “a tick off” with his mechanics, his stuff was sharp enough to silence Cleveland’s lineup all night.
“His velocity was down a bit, but the spin and carry were excellent,” Thomson noted. “He got above barrels and executed when he needed to.”
Wheeler improved to 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA and continued to prove why he’s been one of baseball’s most reliable starters since 2019. He’s now tied with Framber Valdez and Logan Webb for the most seven-inning starts (51) over the past five seasons.
Jose Alvarado and Jordan Romano followed Wheeler with a pair of perfect innings to close the door, with Romano securing his third save of the year.
With the win, the Phillies capped a 5-1 road trip and improved to 24-16 on the season. They now return home to face the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals, who enter Citizens Bank Park riding an eight-game winning streak.
For Philadelphia, Sunday night was another reminder of what makes them dangerous: elite pitching, timely hitting, and one of the most feared sluggers in the game swinging a hot bat.
