Schwarber's blast sparks huge 5th as Team USA routs Great Britain

HOUSTON -- If Aaron Judge is the new Captain America, Kyle Schwarber might as well be the Mighty Thor.

With lightning flashing in the sky outside Daikin Park on Saturday night, Schwarber hammered a thunderous tiebreaking home run against Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic -- the biggest swing of the WBC so far for the United States.

Schwarber's home run, way back into the second deck in right field, carried the U.S. past Great Britain, 9-1. Team USA has won its first two games of the tournament entering a heavyweight clash against Mexico on Monday, the most hyped matchup of Pool B.

"I think the emotional side of it is what we're wearing across our chest: USA," Schwarber said.

Against Great Britain, though, the powerhouse U.S. offense had been stymied all game when Schwarber stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning. And the Phillies' superstar slugger delivered once again on the international stage.

Schwarber brought the crowd of 34,368 in Houston roaring to life as he sent an Andre Scrubb cutter 427 feet deep into the night. His blast sparked a huge, five-run inning for Team USA, which also got a clutch two-out, two-run double from Gunnar Henderson.

As the entire stadium erupted around him -- both the crowd and the USA players on their feet all at once, arms raised in the air -- Schwarber stood stock still in the batter's box for a moment. His bat was frozen in the follow-through of his swing as he watched the ball fly.

Then he broke into his home run trot. As Schwarber passed the United States dugout, he turned to his teammates and saluted. Between first and second base, he turned toward the stands and saluted the Team USA fans.

Schwarber was moved into the leadoff spot for the game against the Brits -- where he's done so much damage for the Phillies -- as manager Mark DeRosa juggled the U.S. lineup around following the team's WBC opener against Brazil, when Schwarber hit cleanup and Bobby Witt Jr. hit leadoff.

When DeRosa went to Schwarber with the change, Schwarber joked, "You went from the fastest leadoff hitter in the game to the slowest leadoff hitter."

But also maybe the most powerful. And the move brought Schwarber up at the perfect time against Great Britain.

"I had talked multiple times with Schwarbs during the season about where he wanted to hit in this lineup," DeRosa said before the game. "He said, 'I'm not going to change my approach whether you lead me off or bat me fourth.'"

That approach: crush baseballs.

It must have felt like deja vu for Great Britain, who also saw Schwarber crush a game-breaking home run against them in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Schwarber has been a monster for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He also hit a massive upper-deck home run against Japan in the 2023 championship game. And he now has a .727 slugging percentage and 1.243 OPS in his seven career WBC games.

The U.S. entered Saturday's game as big favorites against the Brits, with a star-studded lineup and back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on the mound.

But Skubal was ambushed on the first pitch he threw by Great Britain's Nate Eaton, who smacked a leadoff home run to left-center that put the Brits on top.

Skubal settled down and looked like his dominant self after that, but the U.S. didn't score through the first four innings -- thanks especially to a home run robbery by Trayce Thompson against Will Smith that was reminiscent of the great catches in WBC history. But Schwarber helped turn the game around.

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Both Schwarber, the reigning National League home run king after 56 long balls last season, and the team captain Judge, who hit 53 for the Bronx Bombers, have now homered for the United States in the 2026 Classic. Judge went deep in his first career WBC at-bat on Friday against Brazil.

Now Schwarber can look ahead to Mexico. He was on Team USA when it lost to Mexico, 11-5, in pool play at Chase Field in the 2023 Classic.

That game, Schwarber recalled, had a playoff-like atmosphere akin to Phillies postseason games at Citizens Bank Park. He said he'd never seen Arizona's stadium so electric.

So he's ready for Monday's rivalry rematch.

"The U.S. has had their hands full with them in this tournament," DeRosa said. "I certainly haven't forgotten about it. I know Kyle's probably the same."

"Yeah," Schwarber said. "I won't forget that game."