Take a bow, Kyle Schwarber! Considered as one of the best power hitters of his generation, the Philadelphia Phillies star was on fire during their game against division rivals Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Schwarber can be relied on to hit a home run at least once in a series. Against the Braves, the star DH hit four home runs… in one game. It was an unreal performance from the star hitter.
After the game, Schwarber expressed one regret during his historic performance: he accidentally jinxed himself. The Phillies hitter said that he asked some of his teammates during the game if anyone had hit five homers in a game.
“I shouldn’t have even asked the question,” Schwarber said, per The Athletic's Matt Gelb. “‘You know any guys who have hit five?’ And no one said anything.”
One of baseball's most known unspoken rules is to never talk about a no-hitter while one is in progress. The superstition extends to other aspects of baseball: most players are incredibly superstitious and do not want to risk any “jinxes” while in the midst of a historic performance. The Phillies star joked that by asking if anyone had hit more than four homers, he ended his own bid at greatness.
To answer Schwarber's question, no player in MLB history has hit five home runs in a single game (Lipman Pyke did it in 1866, way before the professional leagues were made). Schwarber is the 21st member of the four-HR club, joining a list that includes Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig, and Mike Schmidt. Schmidt was the first Phillies player to reach that feat, doing so in 1976 in a tight 18-16 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Unlike Schmidt's day, the Phillies had a much more comfortable time against the Braves, winning 19-4. Schwarber was responsible for nine of those runs. Other Phillies players who hit home runs in the game were Bryce Harper, Max Kepler, and J.T. Realmuto.
The Phillies now sit at 77-57 for the season, comfortably ahead of the New York Mets for the top spot in the NL East.
