PHILADELPHIA-. Kyle Schwarber established a record of the MLB with his 14th leadoff homer of the season before leaving the game with an injury, and pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-4 on Tuesday.
Trea Turner hit two two-run homers and Bryce Harper added four hits as the Phillies (87-58) moved 29 games over .500, matching a season high.
Schwarber set the record for leadoff home runs on the second pitch he saw from Taj Bradley, sending the ball 437 feet to center field for a 1-0 lead and surpassing Alfonso Soriano, who had 13 home runs to open the inning with the New York Yankees in 2003The Phillies’ designated hitter left the game in the fourth inning because of a hyperextended left elbow after reaching a walk in the third and apparently injuring himself diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt.
“I didn’t feel any pain or anything,” Schwarber said. “I extended it a little bit and it was weird. I went down (to the batting cage) and took a swing and it didn’t feel right.”
Schwarber received treatment and felt a little better after the game. He said there was no structural damage and as long as he felt he could handle the discomfort, he could possibly return to the lineup Wednesday as the Phillies look to sweep the series.
Schwarber’s 35th homer of the season was the 45th of his career leading off a game, with 32 since joining the Phillies in 2022.
Schwarber has 45 career leadoff homers, which is tied for ninth all-time. Jimmy Rollins ranks eighth with 46.
“I’ve always said that stuff will be cooler when I retire,” Schwarber said last week in Toronto about tying Soriano. “Right now I’m just trying to win baseball games. Winning a game is more exciting than that.”
Schwarber has hit 138 home runs since joining the Phillies in 2022, including the postseason. The Phillies are 82-36 (.694) when he hits the ball.
After Bryce Harper doubled, Uceta hit Nick Castellanos in the hip with a pitch, causing both the benches and bullpens to empty and players to gather on the infield grass. Uceta was ejected from the game.
“I had an overwhelming feeling that I was going to get beat up,” Castellanos said. “We all realized what it was: He was (upset) because he got beat up and his ERA went through the roof.”
Uceta said he didn’t hit Castellanos on purpose. He also said he hit him with a changeup, but according to MLB’s StatCast, the pitch was a 96 mph sinker.
“You’re frustrated and you’re going to throw it at someone,” Castellanos said. “That’s like my 2-year-old throwing a tantrum because I took his dessert away before he finished.”
Harper, who hasn’t homered since Aug. 9 and has a homerless streak at Citizens Bank Park dating back to July 27, appeared to have homered in the fifth inning. But the play was overturned upon replay review because of fan interference after a young fan reached over the railing on the right-field wall and caught the ball.
Harper gave up a double and was stranded when Castellanos popped out and Bryson Stott grounded out to end the inning. Harper had three doubles in a game for the third time in his career and the first since August 2021.
The third double came just before Castellanos was hit. Harper was not pleased that Uceta hit his teammate and quickly marched to the mound yelling at the Rays pitcher.
Harper was spared a physical altercation because Uceta never turned around to look at him.
“I didn’t want to be a loser and get behind him,” Harper said. “If he’s going to bounce back, then fine, let’s go.”
Turner also homered off Bradley in the third inning for his 17th career multi-homer game and third this season.
Jose Alvarado (2-5) pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts and earned the win.
The Rays gave up four runs and 12 hits to Phillies starter Ranger Suarez in the first six innings.
Junior Caminero had three hits and an RBI, and Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero each had an RBI single for the Rays. Christopher Morel hit an RBI triple off the top of the center-field wall, the deepest part of the stadium.
Richard Lovelady (3-6) was tagged with the loss. He allowed two runs and two hits in two-thirds of an inning of relief.
