Before the 'Schwarbomb': Remembering 10 playoff dingers that shaped Phillies history

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Kyle Schwarber’s home run against Yu Darvish in the sixth inning of Game 1 of the NLCS was jaw dropping.

It went 488 feet to the upper deck in right field — something even the Padres radio broadcasters insisted they had never seen before at Petco Park.

That home run stands in the company of some other memorable Phillies postseason home runs. Here are 10 of the best, in reverse chronological order — which, luckily for Red October fans, includes some very recent memories.

A home run is a home run if a player rounds the bases during his at bat. It doesn’t necessarily have to go over the fence. That was the case for Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto in the clinching Game 4 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.

Realmuto hit a deep ball off the angled wall in left-center field, which was specifically designed by late Phillies President and Chairman David Montgomery for inside the park home runs if the opposing team misplays it.

That’s exactly what the Atlanta Braves did, which included right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. putting questionable effort into retrieving the ball when center fielder Michael Harris II couldn’t come up with it. Realmuto hustled out of the box and scored without a throw to the plate.

Rhys Hoskins’ first experience of postseason baseball didn’t start out well in this year’s Wild Card Series or the first two games of the NLDS. In fact, in addition to his struggles at the plate, he made a costly misplay in the field in Game 2 against the Braves, which contributed to the loss.

However, in the very next game — the first postseason game at Citizens Bank Park since Oct. 7, 2011 — Hoskins broke the game wide open with a monster first-pitch, three-run homer off Spencer Strider.

Citizens Bank Park went nuts. Hoskins sprinted around third base to home plate, and the lasting image was him slamming his bat in celebration when he noticed it was leaving the yard.

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Phillies great Ryan Howard slugged his way into fans’ hearts with 382 home runs over his career, but two in the postseason were instrumental in delivering the franchise’s second title.

Howard got hot in the 2008 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays when he went deep twice in Game 4, which helped the Phils take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Howard and Chase Utley were part of the core from the Phillies’ golden era a decade and a half ago.

In Game 3 of the 2008 World Series, Howard and Utley hit back-to-back home runs, which helped them win the game and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

For the first time in 15 years, the Phillies were in the World Series. It was a momentous occasion for a generation of Phils fans too young to remember 1993.

After taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the NLCS, the Phils had a week off. In the meantime, the Rays had just won a seven-game series against the Boston Red Sox. Were the Phils going to be rusty?

Utley answered that question in the first inning with a two-run home run off left-hander Scott Kazmir at Tropicana Field in his first ever World Series at bat, setting the tone for the series.

Matt Stairs played only parts of two seasons for the Phillies as a reserve off the bench — but he is a folk hero in Philadelphia.

With the Dodgers threatening to tie the NLCS at two games apiece, the Phils rallied in the eighth inning against Jonathan Broxton — a pitcher they gave nightmares to in multiple postseasons.

Shane Victorino tied the game with a two-run home run, and soon after Charlie Manuel pinch hit Stairs, who was acquired in late August in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Until this game, Stairs hadn’t really done anything in Phillies red. With two outs in a 5-all game, Stairs smacked a 3-1 pitch high and far into the dark Chavez Ravine night to go up 7-5.

The Phillies took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, and would clinch two nights later.

The Phillies had a daunting task in Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. CC Sabathia, who the Brewers acquired in the season in a trade with Cleveland, was one of the dominant pitchers in the game that year, a major part of Milwaukee making the postseason.

The Phillies took the all-important opener of the best-of-five series to at least give them a cushion before facing Sabathia in Game 2. It turns out, Sabathia was no problem at all.

With Sabathia clearly gassed, Phillies starting pitcher Brett Myers worked a walk in the second inning. Victorino eventually came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field fall to the roars of Citizens Bank Park. It put the Phils up 5-1 in the game. They forced Sabathia to the bench and took a 2-0 lead in a series they’d win in four.

Victorino’s grand slam was one of the early signs the 2008 postseason run was going to be special.

Former Phillies center fielder Lenny Dysktra has had many controversies in his life, especially after baseball, tainting his reputation.

On the field in 1993, though, no one could deny his energy and impact helping the team to its first World Series in a decade.

In Game 5 of the NLCS against the Braves at Fulton County Stadium, the Phils blew a 9th-inning lead, forcing extras in this pivotal contest that would break a 2-all series tie. But in the 10th, Dykstra hit a go-ahead home run off Mark Wohlers to center field. This put the Phils one win from the Fall Classic, which they took care of in Game 6.

One of the covers of the Philadelphia Daily News after Game 5 read, “Nailed” — a nod to Dykstra’s other nickname, “Nails.”

Another controversial former Phillie — Curt Schilling — won NLCS MVP. Dykstra would’ve almost certainly won World Series MVP if the Phillies defeated the Blue Jays because he was even better against Toronto with four homers in that series.

The other golden era of Phillies franchise history ran from the mid-’70s through early ’80s, culminating in a World Championship in 1980.

Until reaching that pinnacle, this Phils era was known for always coming up short in the League Championship Series, especially against the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978.

Fast forward to 1983, and the Phillies, whom legendary late Daily News writer Stan Hochman nicknamed “The Wheeze Kids” for having a lot of older players, were facing the Dodgers again. This time, Los Angeles would not ruin the Phillies’ plans, due in large part to NLCS MVP Gary “Sarge” Matthews.

“The Sarge,” later a beloved broadcaster, had three home runs and eight RBIs in the four-game series, which was capped by a majestic blast in clinching Game 4 at Veterans Stadium.

Matthews' three-run home run in the first featured an epic bat flip, as well as a curtain call.

For the first time in 30 years, the Philadelphia Phillies made it to the World Series. A ball club led by no-nonsense manager Dallas Green finally made it over the hump of the League Championship Series with an epic five-game battle against the Houston Astros.

The World Series was against George Brett and the Kansas City Royals, and Game 1 was at Veterans Stadium. It did not start well. Starting pitcher Bob Walk put the Phillies in a 4-0 deficit after three innings.

However, in the bottom of the third, the Phils started to rally, capped off by a clutch two-out, three-run home run from right fielder Bake McBride — who was recently enshrined in the Phillies Wall of Fame.

This was the go-ahead hit that put the Phils up 5-4 in a game they would win 7-6. The Phillies clinched the title in six games. Along the journey of 1980, McBride had multiple clutch hits — including this one in the opener of the Fall Classic.

Nov. 2, 2009 – Chase Utley’s 5th Home Run of the 2009 World Series
Oct. 21, 2009 – Jayson Werth’s two home runs in clinching NLCS Game 5
Oct. 26, 2008 – Pitcher Joe Blanton’s improbable home run in World Series Game 4
Oct. 15, 2008 – Jimmy Rollins’ leadoff home run in clinching NLCS Game 5
Oct. 13, 2008 – Shane Victorino’s game-tying home run in NLCS Game 4
Oct. 9, 2008 – Pat Burrell’s go-ahead home run in NLCS Game 1
Oct. 9, 2008 – Chase Utley’s game-tying home run in NLCS Game 1
Oct. 5, 2008 – Pat Burrell’s 2nd home run in clinching NLDS Game 4
Oct. 5, 2008 – Pat Burrell’s 1st home run in clinching NLDS Game 4
Oct. 5, 2008 – Jimmy Rollins’ leadoff home run in clinching NLDS Game 4
Oct. 23, 1993 – Lenny Dykstra’s 4th home run of the 1993 World Series
Oct. 20, 1993 – Lenny Dykstra’s two home runs in World Series Game 4
Oct. 20, 1993 – Darren Daulton’s two-run home run in World Series Game 4
Oct. 17, 1993 – Jim Eisenreich’s three-run home run in World Series Game 2
Oct. 13, 1993 – Dave Hollins’ two-run home run in clinching NLCS Game 6
Oct. 6, 1993 – Pete Incaviglia’s game-tying home run in NLCS Game 1
Oct. 4, 1983 – Mike Schmidt’s home run in NLCS Game 1
Oct. 10, 1981 - George Vukovich's pinch-hit walk-off home run in NLDS Game 4
Oct. 19, 1980 – Mike Schmidt’s two-run home run in pivotal World Series Game 5