SAN DIEGO -- Kyle Schwarber has been the most prolific home run hitter in Major League Baseball this season.
But against the Padres, he becomes one of the most prolific home run hitters ever.
Schwarber was at it again in Monday's 3-0 series-opening win over the Padres at Petco Park. Though it paled in comparison to his majestic 488-foot blast in Game 1 of the 2022 NLCS, he ripped a first-inning homer that held up as the game's only run until the seventh, when Brandon Marsh provided some insurance with a two-run shot.
“I know it's been one of those parks where he hits some homers,” said interim manager Don Mattingly, “so he probably feels pretty good when he walks in here.”
But does Schwarber ever think about that homer -- the one that left Bryce Harper in awe -- when he steps into the box at Petco?
“Not really,” Schwarber said before backtracking a bit. “I mean, it's always fun to look up there now that you've done it, and realize, ‘You know, that's kind of far.’”
Schwarber's latest Petco homer was his MLB-leading 21st home run of the season. It was also his 21st home run in 50 career games against the Padres, including the postseason.
That's an average of one home run every 2.38 games against San Diego, the second-best rate by any player against any team in MLB history (minimum 50 games). Here's the top five:
1. Giancarlo Stanton vs. Rockies: 2.33 games
2. Kyle Schwarber vs. Padres: 2.38 games
3. Aaron Judge vs. Orioles: 2.40 games
4. Mark McGwire vs. Tigers: 2.49 games
5. Sammy Sosa vs. Rockies: 2.51 games
“It's weird. I don't know, it's coincidental,” Schwarber said. “I don't know how else to explain it.
“But hopefully, it continues.”
That proved to be all the run support Jesús Luzardo needed, though it was more of a grind than he would have liked.
The Padres responded to Schwarber's early blast by loading the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning. Luzardo escaped unscathed by striking out Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill before getting former teammate Nick Castellanos to roll into an inning-ending groundout.
Luzardo faced more trouble in the third when he allowed the first two hitters to reach safely. He again navigated his way out of it, getting Xander Bogaerts to ground into a forceout and Machado to hit into an inning-ending double play.
It was significant not just for preserving a 1-0 lead, but it was those types of innings that have spiraled on Luzardo at times this season.
Not on Monday.
Despite only two 1-2-3 innings, the left-hander turned in six scoreless frames. He struck out six and walked two while allowing four hits. Luzardo has now gone six innings in three consecutive outings, allowing just two earned runs in the process (1.00 ERA).
Luzardo has had a few outings go sideways this season, as he's allowed five or more runs in four of his 11 starts -- but he's allowed no more than two runs in any of the other seven.
“I feel like I've had a lot of outings this year where it's felt pretty grindy, but I wouldn't have it any other way,” he said. “You know, the easy outings are always fun, but when you have to really work for it, I think at the end of the day it kind of, you know, makes you feel better about it.”
The Phillies needed every bit of the grind for much of the afternoon, with Luzardo throwing his final pitch while still clinging to a 1-0 lead. But Schwarber led off the top of the seventh with a single for the Phillies' first hit since his first-inning homer.
A few batters later, Marsh clubbed his fifth homer of the season to give the Phils some breathing room on a day when their offense again did next to nothing outside Schwarber and Marsh. The rest of the team went a combined 0-for-21.
That came on the heels of scoring just four runs in this weekend's three-game series against the Guardians.
“The runs are hard to come by right now, but that'll change,” Mattingly said. “But until then, we keep getting this kind of pitching, we're going to be able to hang in there.”
It helps when Schwarber provides instant offense and the pitching staff gives up nothing.
“When we click on all cylinders -- when we pitch, when we hit and play defense and run the bases well -- I'll take us over anybody,” Marsh said. “Easier said than done; we’ve got to go out there and do it. But yeah, just trying to get back in the fight.”