When Kyle Schwarber steps up to the plate, you know something special is about to happen—and Thursday night was no exception. The Philadelphia Phillies' slugger crushed his MLB-leading 18th home run of the season, a towering two-run blast that broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning and propelled his team to a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Schwarber is on an absolute tear, mashing seven home runs in his last seven games. That's a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a Phillies player since current teammate Trea Turner did it back in 2023. The left-handed hitter's latest moonshot cleared the visiting bullpen in right field and traveled an estimated 417 feet—a no-doubter that had fans at Citizens Bank Park on their feet.
The Phillies added an insurance run later in the eighth when Bryson Stott beat out an infield hit. Initially called out, the play was overturned after a successful challenge, giving Philadelphia some breathing room heading into the ninth.
Brad Keller (2-1) earned the win with a clean inning of relief, striking out two, while Jhoan Duran locked it down with a dominant ninth inning, fanning the side for his seventh save of the year.
Boston's lone run came on Wilyer Abreu's RBI single in the eighth, but it wasn't enough to overcome Schwarber's heroics. The Red Sox wrapped up a homestand that saw them drop two of three in series against both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Phillies.
Red Sox reliever Tyler Samaniego (0-1) had been perfect against the long ball in his young career—no home runs allowed in his first 13 MLB games covering 15 innings—until Schwarber changed that in emphatic fashion. It was a tough night for the Boston bullpen, but Samaniego can take solace in knowing he's not the first pitcher to be victimized by Schwarber's power.
Neither starter factored into the decision, but both delivered strong outings. Boston's Ranger Suarez spun 5⅓ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, while Philadelphia's Jesus Luzardo bounced back from a rough previous start (six runs in three innings) to toss six scoreless frames, fanning four. The game started 22 minutes late due to rain, but once the skies cleared, the pitchers kept things quiet until Schwarber's explosion.
Looking ahead, the Phillies travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series starting Friday night, with Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14 ERA) taking the mound against Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77 ERA). Meanwhile, the Red Sox head to Atlanta for a three-game set, sending lefty Connelly Early (3-2, 3.16 ERA) to face Braves ace Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.89 ERA).
For Phillies fans, Schwarber's hot streak is a thrilling sight—and a reminder that when he's locked in, there's no pitcher in the league who's safe.