Phillies Defeat Braves in Shutout
Kyle Schwarber hits his 43rd home run as Jesús Luzardo pitches a complete-game shutout to defeat the Braves.
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Key Points
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Jesús Luzardo’s shutout was especially valuable because Phillies closer Jhoan Duran had pitched on consecutive days and was unavailable for the game.
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Luzardo improved to 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA after retiring the Braves’ only two baserunners—Matt Olson and Michael Harris II—with singles.
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Luzardo had previously never gone beyond eight innings, making Monday’s complete game a significant personal milestone; he is scheduled to face Atlanta again in the teams’ upcoming series in Georgia.
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ESPN’s panel overwhelmingly predicted Schwarber to finish as MLB’s home-run leader, giving him 12 votes compared with three for Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Winning the overall crown would be the first such achievement of Schwarber’s career, despite his previous National League home-run titles in 2022 and 2025.
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Schwarber returned to Philadelphia after Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh pursued him during the 2025-26 offseason; the report also said a back injury may have contributed to his reduced home-run production earlier in the summer.
Kyle Schwarber hit his 43rd home run of the season in the eighth inning Monday, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. His 415-foot blast off Didier Fuentes proved to be the only run of the game, played in just 1 hour, 51 minutes—the fastest game of the MLB season Yahoo Sports.
The win moved Philadelphia to 81-63, within four games of Atlanta in the NL East, after the teams split their four-game series. Schwarber continues to lead all of baseball in home runs and is the overwhelming favorite to win the overall home-run crown for the first time in his career MLB Daily Dingers.
Luzardo's Shutout Saves Bullpen From Overwork
Jesús Luzardo threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only two singles on 109 pitches. This was especially valuable because closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable after pitching on consecutive days. Luzardo improved to 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA, retiring the only Braves baserunners—Matt Olson and Michael Harris II.
Schwarber Breaks Phillies Home-Run Record
Schwarber's 43rd home run broke Ryan Howard's franchise record for home runs over a five-year span. Howard hit 229 homers between 2006 and 2010. The Big Lead reported that Schwarber surpassed this milestone during Monday's game against Atlanta.
This came just one day after Schwarber hit his 42nd homer against the same Braves team. Schwarber has previously won National League home-run titles in 2022 and 2025, but winning the overall MLB crown would mark his first such achievement.
Schwarber Favored to Win MLB Home-Run Title
ESPN's expert panel gave Schwarber 12 votes to finish as baseball's home-run leader. Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong received only three votes, though he has 40 homers this season. Schwarber's lead makes him the clear frontrunner heading down the stretch.
Schwarber returned to Philadelphia this offseason after Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh pursued him. A back injury may have slowed his home-run pace earlier in the summer, but he has since emerged as the league's most prolific power hitter.
One-Run Victory Tightens NL East Race
The 1-0 scoreline meant Schwarber's eighth-inning blast was both the winning run and the game's only score. Luzardo's nine innings ensured the Phillies did not need to lean on a depleted bullpen. The teams will meet again soon in Georgia, where Luzardo is scheduled to start once more.
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