Former Boston Red Sox and current Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who led the National League in home runs (46) during the 2022 regular season, crushed yet another in Game 6 of the World Series on Saturday.
However, unlike his previous five during Philadelphia’s deep playoff run, this one notched a new milestone for Schwarber. After taking Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez’s 2-2 offering over the right field fence at MinuteMaid Park, Schwarber tied the Major League Baseball record for most homers out of the leadoff spot during the postseason, according to SportsNet Stats — putting his name in the history books alongside Lenny Dykstra (Phillies, 1993) and George Springer (Astros, 2017).
Entering the Fall Classic contest, Schwarber had hit .235 with two round-trippers, three RBIs and four runs scored in the previous five games against the Astros. In Game 5, the 29-year-old veteran also homered after Philadelphia endured a historical combined no-hitter from Houston’s pitching in Game 4.
Schwarber’s blast to lead off the sixth inning gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead during a must-win game for the Phillies.
Trailing the series 3-2, the Phillies trailed the Astros 4-1 in the seventh inning. The Schwarber homer also served as one of just two hits from Philadelphia’s lineup after six innings.
