Kyle Schwarber is on an absolute tear, and the Philadelphia Phillies are reaping the rewards. The slugger launched his MLB-leading 18th home run of the season—a towering two-run blast in the eighth inning—to propel the Phillies past the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Thursday night.
Schwarber's heroics are nothing short of historic. With seven home runs in his last seven games, he becomes the first Phillies player to achieve such a feat since current teammate Trea Turner did it in 2023. The mammoth shot, estimated at 417 feet, cleared the visiting bullpen in right field, leaving fans and opponents in awe.
The game remained scoreless until the eighth, when Schwarber's blast broke the deadlock. Bryson Stott added an insurance run later in the inning on an infield hit that was initially called out but overturned after a successful Phillies challenge. Brad Keller earned the win with a scoreless relief inning, striking out two, while Jhoan Duran fanned the side in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
Boston's lone run came on Wilyer Abreu's RBI single in the eighth, but it wasn't enough to overcome Philadelphia's late surge. The Red Sox wrapped up a homestand where they dropped two of three in series against both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Phillies. Reliever Tyler Samaniego, who hadn't allowed a home run in his first 13 career MLB appearances, finally surrendered one to Schwarber after striking him out three times earlier in the game.
Neither starter factored into the decision, but both turned in solid performances. Boston's Ranger Suarez tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, while Philadelphia's Jesus Luzardo bounced back from a rough previous outing, allowing no runs and fanning four over six innings. The start of the game was delayed by 22 minutes due to rain, but once the action began, it was well worth the wait.
Looking ahead: The Phillies travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series starting Friday night, with Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14 ERA) set to face Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77 ERA). Meanwhile, the Red Sox open a three-game set in Atlanta on Friday, sending lefty Connelly Early (3-2, 3.16 ERA) against Braves ace Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.89 ERA).