In an impressive season for home runs, one of the game's best long-ball hitters made history on Thursday night.
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber homered four times in five at-bats for a 19-4 victory over Atlanta, becoming the 21st player in MLB history to accomplish the feat, and pushed his season total to 49, a career high. He also set a Phillies record with nine RBIs.
“It’s pretty cool,” Schwarber said. “It was a fun night, great atmosphere. Wouldn’t want to do it with a better group of guys than we have here.”
Schwarber began the day tied with the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead, now he sits one away from Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, who tops the majors with 50. Schwarber leads the majors with 119 RBIs.
The left-fielder has had three previous major league games with three homers, however, it is his first time launching four in a single outing. He is the third to hit the milestone this season after the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz and Eugenio Suarez, who completed the feat while with the Diamondbacks. Prior to these three, the last batter to reach four in a game was J.D. Martinez in 2017.
Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit four homers in a game and the first since Mike Schmidt against the Chicago Cubs in April 1976.
“It just cooperated,” Schwarber said. “You can do everything right and get out, and you can do everything wrong and get a hit. Got some pitches and put some good swings on it.”
Schwarber began the power surge with a solo shot in the first off Cal Quantrill, sending a 2-1 curveball into the seats in right field. Scharber hit a flyout to centre in the second.
After Quantrill was lifted with one out and a pair of runners on base in the fourth, Schwarber greeted lefty Austin Cox by sending a 3-2 curveball over the wall in right for his fourth multi-homer game of the season.
With “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants ringing down from Phillies fans in the fifth, Schwarber launched a three-run, opposite-field drive off Cox, giving him five RBIs and putting Philadelphia ahead 15-3. In the eighth, Schwarber hit a three-run shot to right off Wander Suero to make it 18-4.
Schwarber popped out in the eighth to short left field with third baseman Vidal Bruján on the mound.
“I stink against position players,” Schwarber joked. “All you’re trying to do is get a good pitch. I got the pitch. Just popped it up.”
After Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola (3-7) labored through a three-run, 37-pitch first inning, Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Max Kepler homered in the bottom of the inning. Bryce Harper also went deep for Philadelphia, which had 20 hits.
Key moment
After Nola’s shaky first inning, Schwarber, batting second, brought the Phillies to life with his one-out solo shot.
Key stat
Schwarber's four homers.
Up next
Phillies LHP Ranger Suárez (10-6, 3.07) was set to face Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (5-9, 6.12) on Friday night.
— With files from the Associated Press
