Schwarber Hits 20th Homer, Phillies Beat Pirates in 10

Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 20 homers this early in a season, powering the Philadelphia Phillies to an 11-9, 10-inning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. The designated hitter’s performance fueled a comeback from a six-run deficit and highlighted a team resurgence under new manager Don Mattingly.

Schwarber’s pair of two-run blasts gave him a major league-leading 20 home runs. According to Stats Perform, he reached the mark on the earliest calendar date in MLB history, surpassing Arizona’s Luis Gonzalez, who hit his 20th on May 17, 2001. Schwarber also tied a Phillies club record, originally set by Cy Williams in 1923, by hitting 20 homers in the team’s first 45 games.

The win improved Philadelphia’s record to 13-4 since Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as manager, pulling the team to within one game of a .500 record at 22-23. The team’s surge has coincided with Schwarber’s hot streak, during which he has hit nine home runs in his last eight games. This is the second time in his career he has achieved that feat in an eight-game span; former slugger Albert Belle is the only other player in...