Kyle Schwarber’s three-homer game gives Phillies jaw-dropping victory over Blue Jays
Final score: Phillies 10, Blue Jays 9
In weeks past, the Phillies lose on Tuesday night, and it’s over before the first inning is.
But the Phillies have looked different recently, and they responded differently to an early 6-1 deficit in the opener in Toronto. They scratched and clawed back, then fell behind by some more, then scratched and clawed back — and finally got over the hump.
Schwarber started things off on a good note in the first.
But the Blue Jays didn’t let Tyler Phillips out of the first. They got him for six runs on eight hits in just two-thirds of an inning. That included two two-run homers: one from Daulton Varsho, one from Addison Barger.
The Phillies got themselves back into it quickly. A double, error and single set Nick Castellanos up for an RBI groundout; Bryson Stott then hit an RBI single.
Schwarber hit his second big fly of the game, another solo shot, in the fourth.
With Taijuan Walker in his first relief outing since his demotion to the bullpen, he nearly made it through three clean innings — but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had other plans.
The Phillies got three in the seventh, but they had a chance to tie it up. Edmundo Sosa drew a bases-loaded walk, Kody Clemens grounded into a force out — where Brandon Marsh just got beat to the third-base bag, partially because he hesitated on contact — and Schwarber hit an RBI infield single. But Trea Turner flew out deep to left field for the final out of the inning.
No matter. Schwarber made up for it — and then some — in the final inning. He stepped to the plate with two in scoring position after a Sosa single and Kody Clemens double. He needed just a sac fly to tie it up. This ball never had a chance of being caught — or staying in the yard at all.
Leo Jiménez hit a solo homer off Matt Strahm with two outs in the ninth, but Strahm got the next out to give the Phillies one of their more improbable victories of the year.
Notes
Schwarber is the first Phillie to hit multiple three-homer games in a single season. 2024 is the first year the Phillies have had three different individual three-homer games.
The top three in the Phillies’ lineup — Schwarber, Turner, Harper — went 10-for-18 with three homers and a double (Turner).
Clemens is a must for all post season rosters.
13 pitchers are not needed in October.
I would even risk going with 11 if the Phillies had somebody good enough other than Stevenson.They could drop somebody from the 40 man to bring back Dahl or Kingery.
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Clemens is a must for all post season rosters.
13 pitchers are not needed in October.
I would even risk going with 11 if the Phillies had somebody good enough other than Stevenson.They could drop somebody from the 40 man to bring back Dahl or Kingery.