Kyle Schwarber is on a heater. So are the Philadelphia Phillies. And if you ask the slugger himself, that's no coincidence.
The Phillies designated hitter smashed a pair of two-run homers on Friday night, boosting his major league-leading home run total to 20. He also drew a bases-loaded walk during a ninth-inning rally that helped Philadelphia steal an 11-9, 10-inning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's the kind of performance that makes you wonder: Is Schwarber carrying this team, or is the team carrying him? The answer, it seems, is both.
"There's so much good that went on today that we were able to respond and fight back," Schwarber said, quick to deflect attention from his own heroics. "That's a really positive thing for us."
And he's right. Bryce Harper, batting behind him, collected four hits, including a game-tying single after Pirates closer Gregory Soto walked Schwarber on four pitches to pull the Phillies within two. Backup catcher Rafael Marchan delivered a two-run single in the 10th, and Orion Kerkering picked up his first save of the season. It was a team effort, but Schwarber's bat was the spark that lit the fuse.
The win pushed Philadelphia's record to 13-4 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager, pulling the Phillies to within a game of .500 at 22-23. The fact that this surge has come in lockstep with Schwarber going off is anything but a coincidence.
"It's pretty amazing," Mattingly said. "He's a different cat from the standpoint of how he does it. He's dangerous all the time. Doesn't matter really lefties or righties, either one."
Schwarber proved that point on Friday, going deep off both a right-hander and a left-hander to fuel Philadelphia's rally from a six-run deficit. He took Pittsburgh right-handed starter Braxton Ashcraft over the fence in the fifth, then turned on a 96 mph fastball from left-hander Mason Montgomery in the seventh, sending it into the seats in right-center field to pull the Phillies within three.
When a hitter is this locked in, every at-bat feels like an event. And when the team rallies around that energy, anything is possible. For the Phillies, Schwarber's heater isn't just a hot streak—it's the engine driving their resurgence.