Kyle Schwarber smiled and gave the thumbs-up as he jogged to first base in the ninth inning. It was a remarkably subdued reaction to what became a historic performance in the Phillies’ wild 10-9 comeback victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Schwarber wasn’t far off from spectacular, as he led his team to the crazy win.
The Phillies fell behind 6-1 in the first but never folded. They chipped away at Toronto’s lead throughout the ballgame. It seemed like every time his team needed a big hit, Schwarber was delivering. How did he perform in last night’s game?
Schwarber Shines Bright
It surely was one night to remember for Schwarber, who homered in the first, doubled in the third, and homered again in the fourth. In the seventh inning, he added a single to his total. But the go-ahead three-run homer was truly the show-stopper that he hit in the top of the ninth inning. With this swing, Schwarber propelled the Phillies ahead and cemented their dramatic win.
It was a performance that catapulted Schwarber into Phillies history. He became the second player in franchise history with five hits and three homers in a game. The only other to reach that feat was Mike Schmidt as part of his record-tying four-homer game in 1976.
Schwarber’s Struggles
Schwarber hadn’t exactly been mashing of late. He hadn’t homered since Aug. 14, and the at-bats were getting frustrating. Over his last 17 games, Schwarber had a .145 batting average entering Tuesday’s action. Suffice it to say he was due for a rebound. After a particularly rugged game against the Braves, Schwarber sought out his coaches looking for answers and spent extra time in the batting cage.
The Phillies weren’t setting the world on fire with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, but they still managed to get big hits. They scored three in the seventh inning, with one of many huge plays being an eleven-pitch at-bat from Kody Clemens to close the deficit.
The Crazy Ninth
The ninth inning unfolded with Schwarber fouling off several pitches and even taking one painfully off his ankle. Still, he hung in there. When Toronto Closer Chad Green came with a 96.7 mph fastball down the middle of the plate, Schwarber did not miss it. He hit it 114.4 mph, one of the hardest-hit home runs of his career.
It wasn’t very long after the Schwarber homer landed that the effects were felt, rather electrifyingly. His teammates went wild. Kody Clemens and Edmundo Sosa raised their arms in triumph as Schwarber’s shot sailed out of the park. The dugout went wild for the Phillies and showed just how much the moment meant to all involved.
But more to the point, that three-homer game was a testimonial to Schwarber’s resilience and skill; more importantly, it delivered a crucial win to the Phillies. As the season progresses, moments such as these remind us of the excitement and unpredictability that the game of baseball brings.
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