Kyle Schwarber added another line to Phillies history on Sunday, and he did it in the cleanest way possible: one swing, one run, one win.
Schwarber’s solo homer in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves was the difference in a 1-0 Philadelphia victory, and it also pushed him past Ryan Howard for the most home runs in franchise history by a Phillies player. The blast was Schwarber’s 230th with the club, breaking Howard’s mark of 229, which he set from 2006 to 2010.
The home run was also Schwarber’s 43rd of the season, underscoring just how strong his power production has been in 2026. Through 138 games, the 33-year-old is hitting .243 with a .357 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage, along with 43 homers and 87 RBIs.
The milestone came in a game that carried plenty of weight on its own. Philadelphia improved to 81-63 with the victory and stayed in second place in the NL East, four games behind the Braves.
Schwarber’s place in the organization is already secure after he re-signed with the Phillies on a five-year, $150 million deal through 2030, and he has continued to deliver as one of the National League’s most dangerous power bats. Passing Howard is no small thing in a franchise that holds him in such high regard, and doing it with a go-ahead shot against a division opponent made it land even harder.
As Sarah Langs noted: “Kyle Schwarber’s homer gives him 230 with the Phillies , breaking a tie with Ryan Howard (229, 2006-10) for most home runs in any five-season span by a Phillies player”
In Other News...
Braves Need Matt Olson To Snap Out Of This At The Plate
Matt Olson spent the first half of the 2026 season looking like one of the steady offensive anchors Atlanta counts on, but the second half has been a different story. The production has backed up, and the underlying trends have followed it: the batting average, on-base percentage and launch-angle sweet spot percentage have all slid, which is not what the Braves want to see from a middle-of-the-order bat built to drive the lineup.
There are signs the slump is not simply about missing pitches, either. Olsons walk rate has dipped from last season, his damage against fastballs has gone down, and even with fewer strikeouts than before, the overall quality of his at-bats has not been there. Atlanta does not need a wholesale overhaul, but it does need Olson to get back to the swing adjustments and plate discipline that once made him so dependable, because the longer this drags on, the more it changes the shape of the lineup around him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Ugly At Bats Put Tim Hyers Back Under Fire
The Braves keep running into the same problem at the plate, and it showed up again against Jesus Luzardo. Atlantas hitters chased early, expanded the zone and piled up another string of poor at-bats, a familiar pattern for a club that has lived near the top of baseball in swing and chase rate. Under Tim Hyers, now in his second season as hitting coach, the offense still leans heavily on the long ball and too often looks stuck between hunting damage and simply trying to reach base.
Luzardo took full advantage of that approach by getting Braves hitters to offer at pitches they should have let go, then turning those swings into weak contact. For a lineup built to punish mistakes, the bigger issue is how often it is helping pitchers escape trouble instead. The lack of plate discipline has followed Atlanta through regular-season slumps and postseason frustrations alike, and it keeps putting Hyers back in the spotlight whenever the bats go quiet again. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Rotation Gets A Huge Test As Reynaldo Lopez Returns
Reynaldo Lopez is set to give the Braves a welcome boost on Wednesday against the Rays, with manager Walt Weiss saying the right-hander will come off the 15-day injured list to make the start. Lopez has missed six weeks because of left knee inflammation, and his return comes at an important time for an Atlanta staff that is trying to keep everyone lined up through a packed stretch of games.
The move also gives the Braves some flexibility with Bryce Elder, who will shift to the bullpen for the moment while he works through a minor knee issue. Elder is not expected to land on the injured list, but Atlanta is clearly juggling its rotation carefully as it tries to manage innings and stay healthy while Lopez gets back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]