Only 21 players in Major League history have hit four home runs in a single game, and Kyle Schwarber is now one of them.
The former Boston Red Sox slugger had a game for the ages on Thursday night, going 4-for-6 with four homers and nine RBI to pace the Philadelphia Phillies’ 19-4 rout of the Miami Marlins.
Schwarber electrified the 41,293 fans at Citizens Bank Park with his quartet of homers. He went yard in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first, drilling a 450-foot solo shot into the second deck in right field off Cal Quantrill to put the Phillies on the board.
The three-time All-Star flew out in his second at-bat, but greeted reliever Austin Cox with a 383-foot two-run blast to right in the bottom of the fourth.
Schwarber took Cox deep again his next time up, smacking a 378-foot three-run shot over the left-field wall in the bottom of the fifth for his third home run of the game.
Story continues below advertisement
Schwarber’s record-tying fourth blast — a 407-foot two-run shot to right field — came off Wander Suero in the bottom of the seventh. He got one chance to break the record in the bottom of the eighth, but popped out on the infield fly rule in his final at-bat of the night.
The big game raised Schwarber’s National League-leading home run total to 49 — a new career-high and one behind Cal Raleigh for the MLB lead. The nine RBI were a franchise record, lifting his MLB-leading total to 119 (also a career-high).
Story continues below advertisement
Schwarber became the third player this season to swat four homers in a game, joining Eugenio Suárez (April 26) and Nick Kurtz (July 25). He also became the fourth player in team history with a four-homer game and the first since Mike Schmidt in 1976.
It was the 32nd career multi-homer game for Schwarber, including his fourth with at least three homers. His 333 career big flies rank 10th among active players.
The huge game couldn’t have come at a better time for the 32-year-old masher. Not only did it break him out of a 0-for-20 slump, but it also comes just a few months before he’s set to reach free agency.
Story continues below advertisement
The NL MVP candidate picked a great year to have the best game and season of his career, as he’s sure to land a big contract this winter.
