PHILADELPHIA When it comes to setting the stage in postseason games, few players do it like Kyle Schwarber. However, despite his early fireworks, the Phillies were unable to keep pace, suffering a 6-2 loss to the Mets in Game 1 of the 2024 National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Schwarber wasted no time in making an impact, belting his fifth career postseason leadoff homer. The blast extended his own MLB record for most leadoff postseason home runs. He launched a 1-1 pitch from Kodai Senga, sending the ball an impressive 425 feet with an exit velocity of 115. 8 mph, according to Statcast. That mark was the hardest hit of any ball Schwarber had launched in the regular season and ranked as the third-highest postseason home run exit velocity of his career, behind only a 119. 7 mph shot against the Padres in the 2022 NLCS and a 117 https://www.philliesplayerfanstore.com/kyle_schwarber_jersey-206. 1 mph bomb against the Diamondbacks in last year's NLCS.

But after Schwarbers leadoff homer, the Phillies' offense went quiet. They didnt register another hard-hit ball until the eighth inning, and their only other hit during the first seven frames was a soft 75. 1 mph bloop single from Schwarber in the third inning, with a mere 14% hit probability.

"We're facing some tough pitching, but weve got the hitters to match it. We just need to lock in," said first baseman Bryce Harper. "Weve got to keep our discipline at the plate. "

It wasnt until the eighth inning that Harper delivered a two-out double, marking the first hit for a Phillies player not named Schwarber. By that point, the Mets had surged ahead, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead thanks to a five-run rally against the Phillies bullpen.

Harper did walk twice, but he also struck out in the fifth, chasing three straight pitches out of the strike zone. Trea Turner went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice, including one after chasing a pitch outside the zone. Nick Castellanos added a single but struck out twice, both on pitches far from the plate.

"There was some chasing tonight for sure," said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. "Weve got to get back to focusing on the strike zone and putting together better at-bats. "

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza credited his team for executing a strong game plan. "We executed well today. We know the Phillies have a lot of talent, but we need to keep doing this to keep advancing," he said.

Schwarbers leadoff home run was part of a familiar postseason narrative for the Phillies, as he had previously hit a leadoff homer in Game 1 of the 2023 NLCS against the Diamondbacks, Game 5 of the 2022 World Series against the Astros, and Game 3 of the 2022 NLCS against the Padres. His fifth postseason leadoff homer also marked his 21st career playoff home run, putting him in sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list for postseason home runs, ahead of legends like Bernie Williams, Manny Ramirez, and Jose Altuve.

During the regular season, Schwarber led all of Major League Baseball with 15 leadoff home runs, five more than the next closest player. Despite their success when he leads off with a long ball the Phillies went 13-1 in games where he did), the team has now lost the past two games in which Schwarbers leadoff shot cleared the fences, both at the hands of the Mets.

Harper acknowledged the challenge the Mets presented. "They know how to get us to chase, and they executed that game plan. Weve got to be more disciplined moving forward," he said.

While the Phillies would gladly take another tone-setting blast from Schwarber, they know itll take more than just one player to turn the tide. How they respond in Game 2 could be pivotal in determining the series outcome.

"Weve got to be more disciplined at the plate and stay in the zone," Thomson concluded Bryson Stott Jersey. "Its a tough task, but we know what were capable of. "



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