Kyle Schwarber blasts 42nd homer in loss to Braves

Schwarber singled off of Ray Kerr in the first inning, but never advanced past first base. He then drew a walk to open the fourth inning and was erased on a fielder’s choice. Schwarber also chased Grant Holmes with a one-out single in the sixth inning, ultimately scoring the club’s first run on a ground out off the bat of Alec Bohm. While it was a disappointing showing for the Phillies’ offense, Schwarber definitely did his job on Thursday night.

Sosa was removed from Wednesday’s game due to a groin injury that he aggravated while hustling out an infield single. He’ll start at third base and bat seventh for the Phillies on Thursday evening. Bryan De La Cruz will start in left field in place of Brandon Marsh. Here’s the full lineup that the Phillies will use against Braves’ opener Ray Kerr to start Thursday’s game: Trea Turner (SS), Kyle Schwarber (DH), Bryce Harper (RF), Alec Bohm (1B), Bryson Stott (2B), Bryan De La Cruz (LF), Edmundo Sosa (3B), J.T. Realmuto (C) and Justin Crawford (CF).

Schwarber turned this game on its head with his grand slam. In what was meant to be a pitcher’s duel between Hunter Brown and Cristopher Sánchez, the Phillies trailed 6-4 after four innings. Then they rallied off reliever Bryan King before he was pulled and AJ Blubaugh walked in a run before Schwarber golfed a sweeper off the facing of the second deck in right field to give the Phillies a five-run lead. It looked more like a beer league softball swing where Schwarber followed through with just one hand, but his power is truly effortless. His 44 home runs lead baseball as he looks to close the season on a hot streak. Also, it was Schwarber’s fifth start at first base over the last 29 games, giving him eligibility at that spot in certain leagues.

Schwarber took Didier Fuentes deep in the eighth to break a scoreless tie. It was his 43rd homer of the year, putting him three ahead of Pete Crow-Armstrong for the major league lead. He also struck out for the 200th time today, reaching that mark for the third time in his career. He’s three ahead of Colson Montgomery in topping the majors in that category. Alas, it doesn’t look like a Three-True Outcomes triple crown is a possibility, as he’s only fifth with 90 walks and 11 behind teammate Bryce Harper.

Schwarber came into this one in a bit of a slump, going 0-for-17 over his last four games. He drew a walk and scored a run in the first inning, then brought a run in to score on a groundout in the second. Schwarber then took Martín Pérez deep for a solo homer in the fourth, his first home run since August 26. He later added a single in the sixth and drew a walk in the eighth. The 33-year-old slugger leads baseball with 41 homers while hitting .240/.356/.520 with 83 runs scored and 85 RBI across 610 plate appearances.

The Phillies have several players who have added new positional eligibilities since the trade deadline, led by Bryce Harper in the outfield and Bryson Stott at third base. One of the sneakier additions has been Schwarber at first base, a position where he maxed out with nine starts back in 2021. While most fantasy leagues require more than a five-game minimum, in-season or for the following season, it’s a helpful eligibility add in the ones where he’ll qualify.

Schwarber is the first player to 40 homers this season, a mark he has reached four times in his career. All four have come in the past five years with the Phillies, tying Ryan Howard for the most 40-homer campaigns in franchise history. Wednesday’s three-run blast was also the 380th of his career, putting him on track for a meaningful milestone early in 2027. The Phillies had won nine straight before dropping the first two of this three-game set with the Mariners. Schwarber’s efforts helped them avoid the sweep.

It was his only hit of the afternoon. Philadelphia trailed 4-0 and was down to their final out before a barrage of hits tied the game. The Cardinals left O’Brien in, and on his 39th pitch of the inning, Schwarber walked it off. The 33-year-old is having another monstrous year with a league-leading 39 homers despite an elevated strikeout rate. By wRC+, it’s the third-best season of his career. Schwarber also started at first base on Sunday, his fourth time doing so this season.

Bohm made an early exit from Saturday’s game due to cramping in his hamstring/groin area, so the Phillies will give him an extra day off to make sure that it doesn’t develop into a long-term issue. Kyle Schwarber will make a rare start at first base in his place while Bryce Harper functions as the team’s designated hitter and Bryan De La Cruz gets a start in right field.

Schwarber’s home run was his 38th of the season. He hit a solo shot off Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages in the eighth inning with the Phillies already leading 11-3. Schwarber leads the league in home runs. He’s hitting .245 with an .892 OPS and 76 RBI.