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Phillies 9, Mets 3
HR: Schwarber (50)
Kyle Schwarber doesn’t have an NL MVP case, but so what? He has a 50-homer season, money in the bank. an enviable postseason track record, and the love of two fanbases.
It seems to me that Schwarber’s last two years underline the value of getting him off the field. Schwarber made 138 starts in left field in 2022, his first year with the Phillies, and 103 two years ago. Last year, they turned him into a DH, and he’s had just 13 starts in the field over two years. Those are also two of the best three years of his career, including this one: .240/.364/.562 with those 50 jacks and his lowest strikeout rate since 2019. He’s also been very durable: Schwarber is tied for third in plate appearances since he joined the Phillies in ’22, just a handful behind Matt Olson and Francisco Lindor.
Schwarber’s three-run homer in the seventh sealed the Phillies’ win and ended the NL East race. The Phillies’ magic number is nine and it’s just a race to see who will clinch their division first, them or the Tigers. The Phillies are also four up on the Dodgers for a first-round bye, and 2-0 since losing Trea Turner. Being able to coast through the final few weeks and not play in the first round will buy some extra time for Turner’s strained right hamstring to heal.
