PHOENIX — When Kyle Schwarber entered the game in the fourth inning Friday night, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo called on Kyle Nelson in hopes that the left-to-left matchup would limit the damage Schwarber is known to cause.
Instead, the Phillies designated hitter took a powerful swing at a full fastball in the zone, then admired the way the ball blazed into the night with an exit velocity of 114.6 mph – the sixth hardest homer of his career – – before trotting around the bases while pointing to the Philadelphia bullpen in celebration.
Schwarber knew his Statcast-projected 403-foot homer had temporarily shifted the momentum of the Phillies’ final game. 6-5 defeat in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Chase Field. What he didn’t know was that, with his 19th career postseason home run, he passed Reggie Jackson for the most left-handed hitters in MLB history.
“I think it’s an interesting statistic,” Schwarber said. “I think it means more when it’s all said and done, when my career is over. He’s a great baseball player to have around; It’s such a cool thing. I think, for me, it will be cool when it’s all said and done.
Of Schwarber’s 19 career home runs, including four in this series, nine have come in the last two postseasons with the Phillies. He hit three with the Red Sox in 2021 and the other six with the Cubs from 2015-17.
Schwarber is the second-fastest player to reach 19 home runs in postseason history, doing so only in his 62nd career postseason game. It took him 243 plate appearances to break the record, while Jackson finished with 318 career trips to the plate in the postseason.
“I’ve always been very fortunate to be a part of some really good teams,” Schwarber said. “I was a little spoiled when I was young, getting to the big leagues and having a season out. I missed the playoffs once. It’s a special brand of baseball, and it’s a brand of baseball you want to play every year. For us, we just have to keep going.
Schwarber has hit at least 40 homers in five of his nine seasons in the Majors, and he’s had no trouble carrying that power into the postseason. He is tied with Albert Pujols and George Springer for fifth place in the rankings. overall playoff home run rankings. Manny Ramírez holds the record with 29.
At the rate Schwarber knocks the ball out of the park, combined with how often he tends to play in the postseason, breaking Ramírez’s record is achievable.
“Everything is amplified,” Schwarber said. “It’s all about bundling up and getting involved with your teammates, your team and your city, and making sure this time is calm.
“It’s still going to be loud. The most important thing is to try to reduce the noise. … Every time you’re at bat, you just want to stay quiet and really focus on what’s going on.
Schwarber isn’t going to celebrate this milestone too much, as the Phillies squandered a two-game lead in the NLCS by losing back-to-back games to the D-backs.
After all, Schwarber’s role isn’t just about seeking power. The Phillies are counting on him to be a leader, and with what’s at stake in Game 5 on Saturday, now is the best time to have him in both the batter’s box and the clubhouse.
“The reality is it’s 2-2,” Schwarber said. “You have to be able to go out (Saturday), you have to be able to react. We have a good pitcher (Zack Wheeler) for us, and obviously they’re doing their best too (Zac Gallen). It will be up to us to try and find a way to fight, scratch and claw for everything we can get.
“Obviously everyone is going to be upset after a tough loss. It’s like that. It’s hard. Hopefully everyone can put their head down at night and then once they hit the pillow it’s all kind of flushed out. Come back and have a normal day.
