PHILADELPHIA – Kyle Schwarber emerged at the right moment with his bat on fire. The powerful hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies hit two impressive home runs, including one of 455 feet, leading a solid 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and keeping his team’s hopes alive in the National League Division Series (NLDS).
With the Phillies down by a run at the start of the fourth inning, Schwarber hit a spectacular shot against starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sending the ball over the right field stands at Dodger Stadium. This home run, with an exit velocity of 117.4 mph, according to Statcast, became the second most powerful of his career, surpassed only by the 119.7 mph one he hit in Game 1 of the 2022 NLCS against Yu Darvish.
Schwarber’s hit triggered a three-run offensive that put the Phillies ahead, a lead they would no longer relinquish. Later, in the eighth inning, he demonstrated his power again, this time against Clayton Kershaw, with his second home run of the night to secure the victory.
With these two home runs, Schwarber reached a total of 23 in the postseason, surpassing Puerto Rican Bernie Williams and placing third in the historical ranking in Major League Baseball. Only Dominican Manny Ramírez (29) and Venezuelan José Altuve (27) surpass him in this outstanding statistic.
The first home run of the night also marked the fifth of at least 450 feet in Schwarber’s playoff career, the most recorded since Statcast began measuring distances in 2015. Only one other player, Freddie Freeman, has achieved more than one of that magnitude (two).
Furthermore, the powerful hit in the fourth inning ended a 22-0 streak dating back to the regular season, including a 0-8 start with five strikeouts in this series. His hit not only tied the game, but also boosted Philadelphia’s offense, which finally woke up at the crucial moment.
With this victory, the Phillies avoided elimination and forced a Game 4, where they will seek to tie the series and continue fighting for the dream of returning to the National League Championship Series.
