PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Schwarber wasted no time making an emphatic statement on Thursday night.
Then, he made another. And another. And ... another.
Schwarber became just the 21st player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a single game when he did so in the Phillies' 19-4 laugher against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. He’s the fourth Phillie to accomplish the feat, joining Mike Schmidt (April 17, 1976), Chuck Klein (July 10, 1936) and Ed Delahanty (July 13, 1896).
The NL MVP candidate started his night with a 450-foot solo blast to the second deck in right field in the opening frame. He added a towering two-run homer down the right-field line in the third, then went the opposite way for a three-run homer in the fifth.
Schwarber then joined the exclusive four-homer club with another three-run shot in the seventh inning off reliever Wander Suero. The nine runs batted in set a new Phillies record. Four players had previously driven in eight in a game: Jayson Werth (May 16, 2008), Schmidt (April 17, 1976), Willie Jones (Aug. 20, 1958) and Gavy Cravath (Aug. 8, 1915).
Though Schwarber is only the 21st player to accomplish the feat, it's now happened an MLB-record three times this season. Eugenio Suárez did it for the D-backs on April 26 (also against the Braves) and Nick Kurtz went deep four times for the A's on July 25.
Schwarber's historic night also helped him achieve a couple season-long milestones.
His four homers raised his season total to 49, marking a career high -- and moving him into second on the Phillies' all-time list. Only Ryan Howard (58 in 2006) has hit more home runs in a single season for the Phils.