Kyle Schwarber is on an absolute tear, and the Philadelphia Phillies are reaping the rewards. The slugger tied a franchise record by homering for the fifth straight game, launching his MLB-leading 17th home run of the season to lead the Phillies to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The win also marked a milestone for manager Don Mattingly, who earned his 900th career victory.
Philadelphia (20-22) has now won three consecutive games and six of their last eight, showing signs of life since Mattingly took over as manager on April 28. The Phillies are 11-3 under his leadership, a hot streak that has them climbing back into contention.
Zach Wheeler (2-0) was stellar on the mound, allowing just one run on six hits over 7 1/3 innings while striking out four. Jhoan Duran navigated a tense ninth inning, surrendering a hit and a walk but still locking down his sixth save of the season.
Schwarber's historic run has seen him hit six homers in his last five games, joining an elite list of Phillies who have homered in five straight contests: Bobby Abreu, Dick Allen, Odúbel Herrera, Rhys Hoskins, Mike Schmidt, Trea Turner, and Chase Utley. His latest blast came in the first inning, a 386-foot shot off Red Sox opener Jovani Morán (0-1) that cleared the right-field fence and landed in the Boston bullpen.
Mattingly's 900th win places him among an exclusive group of active managers, alongside Terry Francona, A.J. Hinch, Dave Roberts, Kevin Cash, and Craig Counsell. The milestone comes amid a turbulent season for the Phillies, who fired former manager Rob Thomson last month. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski initially pursued former Red Sox skipper Alex Cora for the job, but after Cora declined to spend the summer with his family, Dombrowski promoted Mattingly from bench coach.
The Red Sox (22-20) had a chance to tie the game in the seventh inning. With Mickey Gasper on base and one out, Wilyer Abreu launched a high fly ball to right field, but it fell about six feet short of the fence and was caught by Adolis García. Ceddanne Rafaela later drove in a run with a single, but that was all Boston could muster. The loss drops the Red Sox to 3-1 in their last four games, a slight stumble after a strong stretch.
For the Phillies, this win is another step in the right direction, fueled by Schwarber's historic power and a pitching staff finding its groove. As the team looks to build on this momentum, fans are surely hoping this hot streak is just the beginning.