LOS ANGELES – Not one, not two, but three.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies took on the challenge personally to not only win a series for the first time since early July, but also assert dominance against a National League rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, smashing three home runs in the game Philadelphia’s 9-4. match victory.
This is the second time in Schwarber’s career that he has hit three home runs in one game. The other time was on June 20, 2021, when he was with the Washington Nationals in a contest against the New York Mets.
“I think the most important thing is being able to help the team,” Schwarber said after the game. “You won’t try to do too much at some points and it happens to work out. It’s just a weird thing. But, you know, I always say the most important thing is being able to trust the work in the cage. And when I got there, you made adjustments, adjustments, whatever, and then you just went out there and competed in the game and took what you got.”
Despite a career night in which he notched seven RBI, Schwarber isn’t losing focus on what the win meant for a Phillies team (68-46) that has been a shell after the All-Star break.
“I mean, I’m sure it will be remembered, but I think the most important thing is to get a series win against a really quality opponent and get into another great series there in Arizona. So keeping the momentum on our side will be important,” Schwarber said.
Schwarber started the game with a home run. The second was a three-run, 444-foot blast that occurred in the top of the sixth inning. This proved to be a crucial stretch for the Phillies, who scored five runs in the inning after rallying from a 4-1 deficit to take an 8-4 lead. And to top it off, in the top of the ninth, Schwarber hit another solo home run, this one to center field to cap off what Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson called a “special” night.
“This guy can really hit,” Thomson said of Schwarber, who also had a two-run double in the fifth inning. “Like I said before the game, he’s smart. He comes in, does his job, does his prep work. It’s a big night.
“I mean, it seems like there are times when we’re in a slump and he injects some energy into the clubhouse with a leadoff home run or a big home run somewhere. He is very similar [Bryce Harper] thus.”
With the victory, Philadelphia took the season series against LA (66-49). The July series was a three-game sweep of Philadelphia, and the home team looked dominant with 10-1 and 5-1 victories. That series win was also the last time Philadelphia won a series before Wednesday night. Before this victory, they had lost five series in a row.
Dodgers question obstruction call
For the Dodgers, a controversial umpire call and ejection in that momentum-shifting sixth inning is what they will take away from this game.
In a sequence in which Alex Bohm was thrown out by Miguel Rojas at third base, third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called Bohm safe for obstruction. Rojas was looking for an explanation from Wendelstedt before Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tried to plead his case.
Wendelstedt warned Roberts to stay back, but Roberts continued advancing toward him. The lively conversation ended up earning Roberts an ejection, Roberts’ first of the season and the 12th of his career.
Roberts was furious with the decision because that play ended up setting up Schwarber’s three-run home run.
“[Wendelstedt] I lost the call. This might be the first time I’ve said that,” Roberts said after the game. “It was a blatant error. Their work is difficult. That changed the game.”
The play could not be reviewed, something Roberts would like to see changed by MLB.
“It needs to be reviewable,” Roberts said. “That play changed the complexion of the game. He made a mistake. That’s just a fact. Again, like I said, officiating is hard, they do a great job [but] Tonight that play affected the game.”
Rojas believes the way the referee responded to his attempt to get an explanation was also wrong.
“What was a little more disappointing is when I was trying to get an explanation, the guy started yelling at me,” Rojas told reporters after the game.
The conference call will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion. Without having the ability to review that decision, something like this happening in a postseason game could change the course of a series or possibly decide it.
Another hot topic: the Dodgers’ stumble. Their lead in the NL West narrowed to three games against the tough Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
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