The Philadelphia Phillies went a long way toward shoring up a division title with a dominant showing against the New York Mets. Philadelphia completed a four-game sweep against its NL East foe on Thursday. The Phillies now boast a commanding 11-game lead over New York.
Kyle Schwarber helped power Philadelphia past the Mets. The three-time All-Star belted his 50th home run of the season off New York reliever Justin Hagenman in Tuesday’s game. Prior to the series finale, Schwarber was asked how he balances celebrating the personal milestone against the team’s goals.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong. It’s such an exclusive thing that doesn’t happen much in the game. But at the end of the day we're here to win. We're here to win a championship, and we got to get the division first,” Schwarber said, per FOX Sports: MLB.
Kyle Schwarber leads Phillies past Mets
“I think that’s just how my mind works. My mind thinks about our group, our team. Where we’re trying to head and how do we get there. And if you just keep trying to be productive every single day, I feel like good things are going to happen for your team,” Schwarber added.
The Phillies have been heating up in September. Since the team was swept by the Mets in New York at the end of August, they’ve gone 11-3. And Philadelphia really hit its stride in the Mets series. The Phillies outscored New York 27-10 across four games.
However, the team has experienced some adversity. The most serious loss impacts the rotation. Ace Zack Wheeler is out for the season. The Phillies also lost Alec Bohm and Trea Turner to the injured list. Although neither is expected to be out long.
Turner hit the 10-day IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. But the team anticipates his return prior to the playoffs.
Even with the injuries, the Phillies remain confident in their ability to compete.
“We know how to navigate the waters. Obviously we wish that we were at full strength… But we know that there are loose ties and we need to tighten them up as much as we can with the group that we have and we have the individuals to do that. And we’re confident in that. We have a lot of faith in one another,” Schwarber said.
