Schwarber Grand Slam Leads MLB

Kyle Schwarber crushed a grand slam for his MLB-leading 44th home run as the Phillies beat the Astros 11-7 on Wednesday. The blast was also the 10th grand slam of his career, per Reuters Field Level Media, and it capped a six-run sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia improved to 82-64 and moved within three games of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East. That is the race number that matters in September, and Schwarber just kept writing over the top of the league home run board while Houston tried to hang onto an early lead.

Six-run sixth, 3-2 sweeper gone

Houston led early. Neither team scored in the first two innings, then the Astros jumped Sanchez for four in the third behind Isaac Paredes' two-run homer. The Phillies answered with four in the bottom half to tie it 4-4. Cam Smith went deep for a two-run shot in the fourth, and Trea Turner's solo in the fifth cut it to 6-5 before the bullpen meltdown.

Bryan King faced four hitters in the sixth and let all four reach. Luis Arraez doubled, Bryson Stott reached on an error by Christian Walker, and Edmundo Sosa singled home a run. Justin Crawford's infield hit loaded the bases. AJ Blubaugh entered, struck out J.T. Realmuto, then walked in a run to make it 7-6. Schwarber got a 3-2 sweeper and hooked it off the facing of the second deck. Paredes' RBI single in the seventh got Houston to 11-7, and that was the last noise.

Harper, Turner, and a messy Sanchez line

Bryce Harper and Turner drove in two runs each. Sanchez still took the win at 17-5 despite six runs and 10 hits in six innings with only three strikeouts across 26 batters faced. Hunter Brown lasted five for Houston and allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits. The Astros fell to 74-72 and sit two games ahead of the Rangers in the AL West.

For Phillies fans, the story is simple. The best power bat in the league just dropped another grand slam, the East gap is three per Reuters, and September still has room to climb if this lineup keeps stacking crooked numbers. Forty-four homers and counting. The sweeper never stood a chance, and neither did a Houston bullpen that handed Schwarber the bases loaded on a silver platter.