Kyle Schwarber wasted no time getting the game going at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night and set a new Major League Baseball record in the process.
The Philadelphia Phillies star hit a leadoff home run against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. He connected on a deep drive off Rays pitcher Taj Bradley on just the second pitch of the night that sailed more than 430 feet into right-center field and put them up 1-0 right away.
This was Schwarber’s 14th home run to open the season, setting a new MLB single-season record.
Schwarber was tied with former New York Yankees star Alfonso Soriano for the record before Tuesday’s game. Soriano hit 38 homers during the 2003 season, 13 of which came as a leadoff hitter. Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts came close to that mark last season but finished with 12. Schwarber was also tied for eighth on the all-time list after hitting 11 homers as a leadoff hitter last season with the Phillies. The 31-year-old hit a career-high 47 homers during that season.
The homer was Schwarber’s 35th of the season, which ranks seventh in the league. Schwarber entered Tuesday’s game batting .250 and with 94 RBIs this season, his third with the Phillies.
The Phillies entered the night with an 86-58 record and have won seven of their last nine games, including a 2-1 victory over the Rays on Monday. Schwarber also hit a solo homer in the sixth inning of that game. Philadelphia has a seven-game lead in the NL East standings and is tied with the Dodgers for the best record in the league with fewer than 20 games remaining in the regular season.