Kyle Schwarber Powers Phillies Eight Run Ambush, Toppling Dodgers in Game 3 to Extend NLDS

Two Kyle Schwarber home runs help Phillies stave off elimination, force Game 4 in blowout of Dodgers

Oct 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Down 2-0 after two rough losses to begin the NLDS, the Philadelphia Phillies finally punched back, putting up eight runs on the Los Angeles Dodgers to keep their World Series hopes alive.

Veteran starter Aaron Nola continued his strong finish to the regular season in a two-inning opener appearance, escaping a jam in the first and exiting the game after two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and racking up three strikeouts. Manager Rob Thomson's quick hook was in favor of the Phillies' all-time postseason ERA leader (minimum 30 innings), southpaw Ranger Suarez.

Suarez's bulk outing got off to as rough a start as it could have, allowing a solo home run to superutilityman Tommy Edman on his very first pitch. He settled in immediately after, however, cruising through five innings, allowing just the one run and five hits, striking out four.

The Phillies' offense came alive in the fourth inning, ignited by Kyle Schwarber launching a ball 455 feet into the Los Angeles night, tying the game. They tacked on two more runs before the inning's conclusion, with Bryce Harper scoring from first after an Alec Bohm single and subsequent Dodgers error, before a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly extended Philadelphia's lead to two.

KYLE SCHWARBER ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

This ball may not have landed yet 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xIAPc4r59W

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2025

Despite Suarez holding the Dodgers in check through the seventh inning, the Phillies didn't do him any favors in the top half of the innings. Bryson Stott and Trea Turner led off the fifth inning with two straight singles, followed by a double steal that set up second and third with no outs. Schwarber, Harper, and Marsh went down in order, broken up by a Bohm intentional walk, and the Phillies ended the inning without scoring a run.

A quiet next two innings kept the score 3-0, before Philadelphia finally broke through again. Facing future MLB Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, J.T. Realmuto led off the eighth inning with a monster solo home run to the left-center field bleachers. Max Kepler worked a walk, Nick Castellanos reached on an error, Stott successfully laid down a bunt to advance them to second and third, and the cascade began.

Turner began the onslaught, sending a weak flare into center field that found the grass and brought both runners home. The night's exclamation mark was placed by Schwarber in the very next at-bat, depositing a 90 MPH fastball just over the right field wall for a two-run shot, his second of the night.

KYLE SCHWARBER GOES YARD AGAIN 😱

IT'S 8-1 @PHILLIES! pic.twitter.com/X16tQiyJTa

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2025

Orion Kerkering took over in the bottom of the inning, flawlessly carving up the two, three, and four hitters for a clean 1-2-3 inning.

Blake Treinen threw one scoreless frame in the top of the ninth, and Taijuan Walker gave up a run before lefty Tanner Banks got Shohei Ohtani to fly out, ending the game with an 8-2 final score.

Not. Dead. Yet.

With their backs firmly against the wall, the Phillies proved that they still have what it takes to be a formidable October force.

A pitching matchup that many fans found little confidence in resulted in the team's best top-to-bottom pitching performance. The offense found its groove, and, even with a few tough-to-swallow mistakes, did what it failed to do in Game 1 and put the game considerably out of reach.

There is still considerable work to be done, with the Phillies needing to win two more consecutive games to advance to the NLCS. However, Wednesday night's contest gave them something they had been desperately needing through the first two games of the series: legitimate momentum. Time will tell whether or not they can carry it into the remainder of the series, but if history is any indicator, they're more than capable of doing so.

Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:08 PM EST, where Cristopher Sanchez will look to continue the Phillies' comeback attempt against Tyler Glasnow.