ATLANTA. — Albeit in unique—and maybe even bizarre—fashion, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwaber was the National League’s hero and All-Star Game MVP on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
After going 0-for-2 in the regularly scheduled event, Schwarber launched three home runs in the All-Star Game’s first “swing-off,” propelling the NL to a victory.
The game was tied at 6 after nine innings, so the teams competed in a three-man Home Run Derby in which American League manager Aaron Boone selected Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda and Randy Arozarena and the Athletics’ Brent Rooker, while NL manager Dave Roberts picked New York’s Pete Alonso, Schwarber and Miami’s Kyle Stowers.
Each player got three swings. Rooker launched two over the fence, while Stowers went 1-for-3. Arozarena then hit one, before Schwarber hit all three out to give the NL a 4-3 running lead entering the final round. Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory—technically a 7-6 win—the league’s second All-Star Game triumph in three years after dropping the previous nine.
A rule change in 2022 provided what was left of the 41,702 fans with a spectacle they likely weren’t expecting when they entered Truist Park.
“It was interesting,” Schwarber said after being named the Phillies’ first All-Star Game MVP since Johnny Callison in 1964. “Exciting, fun. There’s a lot of guys who deserve this (trophy), but I’m glad it’s going home with us to Philly.”
Fifteen minutes or so before Schwarber hoisted the award, he lined out against Boston flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to begin the bottom of the ninth—a stark difference of what was to come in the impromptu batting practice.
“Luckily, I had just got done breaking my bat on a 100 mile-per-hour sinker from Aroldis, then praying that we’d hit a walk-off home run,” Schwarber laughed. “Then it was just go up there, get a new bat and get ready to take some BP.”
