The pitch was a sinker. Middle of the plate. And Kyle Schwarber did what Kyle Schwarber tends to do with sinkers that don’t sink — he launched it into orbit.
In a game that felt like it needed one big moment, Schwarber provided it. A towering 428-foot solo shot to right-center in the eighth inning — the kind of no-doubter that didn’t need wind or luck, just raw power and perfect timing. It broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Phillies to a 2-1 win over the Marlins on Thursday night at loanDepot Park.
The win gave the Phillies three out of four in Miami, pushing them to 8-2 in their last 10. They now return to Philadelphia for a weekend showdown with the Mets, with both clubs tied atop the National League East. But the two teams are trending in opposite directions — the Phillies are rolling, while the Mets have lost six straight and are searching for answers.
Schwarber’s homer — his 23rd of the season, second-most in the NL behind Shohei Ohtani (25) — came on a 1-0 pitch from Marlins reliever Anthony Bender (1-5). It was vintage Schwarber. And it was all the Phillies needed.
They had Christopher Sánchez to thank for that.
The 27-year-old lefty continued his breakout season with eight masterful innings, allowing just five hits, one run, no walks, and striking out four. He threw 95 pitches and looked in complete control from the first inning on.
Sánchez (6-2) worked around a brief stumble in the fifth when Nick Fortes singled home Dane Myers — who had opened the inning with a double — to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. But Sánchez never flinched. He retired the next nine batters he faced and handed the ball to Orion Kerkering, who closed it out with a clean ninth for his second save of the year.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was nearly as good, delivering his best performance of the season. Making just his third start since returning from injury, the 26-year-old righty struck out five and allowed only one run across 6 1/3 innings — a season-high. He walked off to a nice ovation from the few fans scattered around loanDepot Park after throwing his 82nd pitch.
But once Cabrera left, the game shifted.
Left-hander Cade Gibson entered in the seventh and promptly got himself into trouble. A single. A wild pitch. A hit-by-pitch. Suddenly the bases were loaded. The Phillies tied it 1-1 with a sac fly, but Gibson managed to escape the inning without further damage.
An inning later, Schwarber made sure the tie didn’t last.
So now the Phillies head home. A raucous weekend awaits. The Mets are coming to town, tied in the standings but dragging into South Philly with six straight losses. The Phillies? They’ve got a hot offense, a rolling rotation, and a chance to make a statement this weekend.
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