Philadelphia Phillies Slugger Sets Rare Record In Win
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber set a unique record during Sunday's win.
Sunday brought another win for the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies, Their 8-2 rout of the hapless Chicago White Sox was their sixth win in a row, completing their second straight series sweep and celebrating the Phillie Phanatic's birthday in style.
Much of the credit for Sunday's win belongs to Aaron Nola and Kyle Schwarber. Nola turned in another outstanding start by Philadelphia's rotation, tossing eight innings of two-run ball while striking out seven.
On the offensive side, Kyle Schwarber led the way by going 1-for-1 with a homer, a sacrifice fly, two RBIs, three runs and three walks. It was a unique performance by the Phillies' leadoff man, who became the first player in team history with that kind of box score.
It was a prime example of Schwarber doing what he does best, namely drawing walks and hitting the ball out of the park (he ranked second in the National League in both categories last year).
Schwarber walked in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the first and came around to score Philadelphia's first run, sparking a three-run opening inning for the Phillies after Nola allowed two runs in the top of the frame. He walked in his second at-bat the following frame as well, although nothing came of it.
The two-time All-Star worked another walk his third time up in the fourth, later scoring on Bryce Harper's sacrifice fly.
Schwarber finally put the ball in play to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but it didn't stay in play for long. He belted a mammoth 423-foot homer into the upper deck in right field, extending Philadelphia's lead to 7-2 with his sixth long ball of the year.
Finally, Schwarber rounded out his big day with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, capping the scoring at 8-2 with his 11th RBI.
Schwarber only has three hits in his last seven games, but they've all left the yard, showing how dangerous he can be when he does make contact.
