The Philadelphia Phillies won the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 9-4 victory in the finale Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. It's easy to spot who the star of the evening for Philly was, with slugger Kyle Schwarber hitting not just one, not two, but three home runs to help his team.
Schwarber made noise right out of the gate. Batting leadoff, the Phillies designated hitter sent the ball deep after a five-pitch battle in the first inning against Gavin Stone.
Schwarber struck again in the sixth inning when he hit a 426-foot dinger to drive in three runs and extend the Phillies' lead to four off of Los Angeles relief pitcher Alex Vesia. It was not the last time Schwarber punished a ball in the game, as he later launched a solo home run that went 408 feet deep in the ninth inning for what turned out to be the contest's (and the series') final run.
With his incredible performance at the plate, Schwarber became the first player in Phillies history to hit at least three home runs in a game as a leadoff spot in the last 104 years, at least, according to Sarah Langs MLB.com.
“Kyle Schwarber is the 1st Phillies player with a 3-homer game from the leadoff spot since at least 1900.”
All in all during the Phillies-Dodgers finale, Schwarber went 4-for-4 with seven RBIs, three home runs, and a walk. He entered the game with a season batting average of .253. The series concluded with Schwarber carrying a .261 batting average on the season. Schwarber remains one of the most intriguing hitters in the big leagues today. He is striking a lot, as he's just below the 20th percentile in terms of strikeout rate. At the same time, he's among the elite when it comes to walk rate (99th percentile), per Baseball Savant.
After knocking three home runs versus the Dodgers, Schwarber has surpassed Bryce Harper for most home runs this season among Phillies players. Schwarber has 27 home runs, while Harper has 25.
Social media reacts to Kyle Schwarber's home run spree in Phillies vs. Dodgers finale
“Congrats to Kyle Schwarber for making history with the Phillies! A leadoff home run is always exciting, and this 3-homer game was truly a sight to behold. Keep up the great work, team!” – @AntonioLis17998
“Wow, that's impressive! Kyle Schwarber is definitely making an impact for the Phillies this season” – @Chuck4rya.
“Kyle is better than your favorite hitter. Shohai 0-5 500M. Kyle 4-4 3 homers, double 7 RBIs 20M. Levels.” – @AlecFall0n
“The Dodgers lost because of Schwarber.” – @choeyun63177406
“They should name the stadium after him” – @gerawaycar
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