Schwarber launched a solo shot in the second off Luis Ortiz, then returned in the eighth with a 397-foot thunderclap to dead center off Tim Herrin. Two homers. Three RBIs. A new co-leader atop the major league home run board, now tied with Aaron Judge at 14. And just for good measure, he extended his on-base streak to 46 games — the longest in the majors since Paul Goldschmidt reached 46 in 2022.
Now here’s your Stark Fact: Only four Phillies in the last 100 years have put together an on-base streak of 46 games or more — Chuck Klein, Dick Allen, Bobby Abreu, and now Schwarber. That’s not just good company. That’s a private table in the back room of Phillies lore.
But this wasn’t just the Schwarber Show. Zack Wheeler was out there doing Zack Wheeler things — carving up the Guardians with precision, velocity, and a very clear plan. He tossed seven shutout innings, struck out eight, allowed just three hits, and barely broke a sweat doing it. It matched his longest outing of the season and marked his third straight win. Only two Guardians made it past first base all night, and none looked all that comfortable doing it.
Behind him, José Alvarado handled the eighth. Jordan Romano, in just his third save chance since arriving in Philly, locked down the ninth. Three pitchers, three hits allowed, and not a single Guardian crossing home plate. That’s a winning formula — and it capped a 5-1 road trip through Tampa Bay and Cleveland that felt less like a test and more like a confirmation.
The Phillies have now won 11 of their last 14 games since bottoming out at .500 on April 25. And they’re doing it with a mix of power, pitching, and just the right amount of postseason flash in mid-May.
Luis Ortiz — who struck out nine over six innings and allowed only the Schwarber solo blast — pitched well enough to win on most nights. But this wasn’t most nights. The Guardians dropped just their 11th game since April 8, and once Herrin walked Bryson Stott to open the eighth, it felt like the script was already written. Two outs later, Schwarber delivered the closing paragraph.
So now the Phillies head home for a six-game stand, starting Monday night against the Cardinals. Cristopher Sánchez (4-1, 2.89 ERA) gets the ball against lefty Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 3.07 ERA).
And if you’re thinking maybe it’s time to stop pitching to Kyle Schwarber? Well, you wouldn’t be the first. But good luck finding a pitch he’s not ready to launch into orbit.
Quotable
“It’s so impressive because he takes what the other pitcher gives him. If they want to pitch around him and try to nibble, he'll take his walks, and he’ll take his base hits. But when they pitch to him he’ll put the ball in the seats.”- Manager Rob Thomson on Kyle Schwarber, per MLB.com.
