Middletown’s Schwarber hits 3 homers in game for 2nd time this season for Phillies

Schwarber, a 2011 Middletown High School graduate, hit his 12th leadoff homer of the season and went deep again in the fourth before his blast with no outs in the ninth on the ninth pitch he saw from Chad Green (4-5), a 96 mph fastball. Right fielder George Springer barely moved in reaction to Schwarber’s 426-foot line drive that reached the second deck for his 31st homer of the season.

Schwarber became the first Phillies player to have two three-homer games in a season. He finished 5 for 6 with six RBIs and came within a triple of the cycle, adding a double in the third and an RBI single in the seventh. It was Schwarber’s third career three-homer game and his first five-hit game. The first two homers came against Chris Bassitt.

“He carried us tonight,” Philadelphia’s Kody Clemens said.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4 for 5 with a two-run homer for Toronto, which led 6-1 after one and knocked Phillies starter Tyler Phillips out of the game after two-thirds of an inning. Phillips gave up six runs on eight hits, including two-run homers by Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger.

“Even after the first inning happened, everyone’s demeanor was good,” Schwarber said. “There was no sense of defeat. Just felt like everyone had a really good attitude about it and it showed.”

Edmundo Sosa led off the ninth with a single and advanced to third on Clemens’ double before Schwarber’s homer made it 10-8.

“When he’s hot, he might be the best hot hitter in all of baseball,” said Bassitt said.