Kyle Schwarber Snapping Drought Powered Phillies To Win

Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kyle Schwarber Snapping Drought Powered Phillies To Win

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 10, 2026 2:30 PM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies, who are in what should be a soft spot of their schedule, are being hit hard by attrition, which has led to underwhelming results on the field.

Extra-inning games are taxing a bullpen that is already overworked. One of their new additions, Caleb Kilian, looks as if he is heading toward a stint on the injured list after getting hurt on his last pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 9.

He was pitching for the fourth time in six days. Relief pitchers are being asked to carry a heavy load, which is why it was so important to win that final game against the Blue Jays. After dropping the first two games of the series, avoiding a sweep was imperative.

And helping accomplish that was Kyle Schwarber. The team’s slugging designated hitter has been mired in a power outage, but broke out in a big way against Toronto, hitting his first home run in 17 games in the bottom of the third inning off Shane Bieber.

Kyle Schwarber breaks out of slump in major way

And then in his next at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning, facing Bieber for a third time, Schwarber went deep again, launching his 35th home run of the campaign into right field.

The drought was a grind for Schwarber, but he broke out in a big way to help the team win. It provided an example for the rest of his teammates, some who are grinding through struggles in their own way, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel with hard work and persistence.

“I feel like it’s going to be really helpful for us as we keep moving through this and get to where we want to go,” Schwarber said, via Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). “Just try to find a way to win a game at the end of the day. That’s all it is.”

May we interest you in another Schwarbomb? pic.twitter.com/Bxtzr2A2QN
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 9, 2026

It was certainly encouraging to see Schwarber bust out of his slump and help the team get a much-needed victory. When he isn’t playing at the level he is capable of, producing runs is a challenge for this Phillies team. And with some of his teammates also slumping, it could not have come at a worse time.

Hopefully, one of the home run barrages that he has produced in the past is about to occur. The Philadelphia offense has received a much-needed jolt from Luis Arraez. Center fielder Justin Crawford is performing well flipping the order over, and Bryson Stott has been a consistent, reliable source of production.

But this team needs Schwarber producing at a high level to reach its potential. He is a true difference-maker with the bat, someone capable of carrying the offense. Feeling healthy after missing two games with a back injury in late June will certainly help him get back on track.

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This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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