Schwarber’s 19th, 20th HRs Lift Phillies to 11-9 Extra-Inning Win

This blog post dives into the Philadelphia Phillies’ wild 11-9, 10-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The night had everything: Kyle Schwarber’s two home runs, a ninth-inning standoff at the plate, and a late rally that somehow pushed Philly across the finish line.

Schwarber’s power surge fuels the comeback

Kyle Schwarber smashed a pair of two-run homers, bumping his MLB-leading total to 20 homers and yanking the Phillies out of a six-run hole. The first bomb landed in the fifth inning, then he did it again in the seventh—just classic Schwarber, honestly.

Somehow, he’s up to nine homers in an eight-game span. That’s the kind of stretch you usually only see in history books—Albert Belle is the only other modern player to pull that off. Schwarber’s hot streak didn’t just pad his stats; it gave the Phillies a pulse when things looked bleak.

Philadelphia fell behind 6-0, but the comeback started brewing early. Schwarber’s home runs were thunderclaps, reminding everyone the Phillies weren’t folding. His power lit a fire under the team, and suddenly the Pirates’ lead didn’t feel so safe.

Ninth-inning drama and Harper’s moment

The Pirates tried to play it safe in the ninth, up by three, and had Gregory Soto intentionally walk Schwarber with the bases loaded. That move? It backfired, big time.

Bryce Harper came up and drilled a two-run single off the wall, slicing the deficit to one and sending the ballpark into a frenzy. Harper’s answer to Soto’s gamble felt like a gut punch to Pittsburgh. That moment, honestly, summed up the Phillies’ stubbornness all night.

With the game tied, the Phillies rolled their momentum into extra innings. Brandon Marsh led off the 10th with an RBI single, then Rafael Marchán added a two-run single to give the bullpen some breathing room. The late push finally sealed it for Philadelphia.

Bullpen brilliance and the 10th-inning seal

Jose Alvarado worked a clean ninth and kept the Pirates at bay. Orion Kerkering then locked down the 10th for his first career save.

This sequence showed off Philadelphia’s bullpen depth. The offense kept pushing, even after a shaky start.

Amid all the action, there was some fun context. Cristopher Sánchez, who’s already getting Cy Young buzz for 2025, will start for the Phillies in the next series.

The Pirates had their own moments. Brandon Lowe homered twice, and Marcell Ozuna launched a shot that became a running joke when a traffic cone snagged it—a nod to PNC Park’s quirky “cone tradition.”

That cone thing? It started when Jake Mangum dragged one into the clubhouse in Cincinnati. Now, it’s just a regular sight in Pittsburgh, a perfect reminder that baseball can be weird and wonderful.

• Kyle Schwarber pushed his MLB lead to 20 homers with two bombs in one night.
• Harper came up in the ninth with the bases loaded and ripped a two-run single to tie it.
• Orion Kerkering nailed down his first career save in the 10th, finishing off the comeback.
• The Pirates’ bullpen had their moment, but honestly, the traffic cone stole the show after Ozuna’s homer.
• Cristopher Sánchez gets the ball for the next series, another sign Philly’s rotation is quietly loaded right now.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Schwarber hits majors-leading 19th and 20th HRs, Phillies beat Pirates 11-9 in 10 innings