Luzardo’s 200th Strikeout, Schwarber’s 40th Homer Lift Phillies in Seattle
Aug 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) greets catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) following a victory against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Behind a dominant seven-inning start from Jesus Luzardo, a leadoff homer from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber‘s 40th blast of the season, the Phillies salvaged the finale of their Seattle series before heading to Anaheim, where Schwarber has historically swung a hot bat.
The Phillies’ West Coast trip hadn’t gotten off to the start that they would have liked coming off of the hottest stint of the season and would have to break the cycle against Brian Woo if they wanted to salvage the series with a win.
The Phillies offense seemed bound and determined to get on the board early, with Kyle Schwarber leading the game off with a double in front of a Bryce Harper opposite-field home run. The next inning, Bryson Stott doubled, and Justin Crawford drove home Stott; with two runners on, Schwarber hit his 40th home run of the season, making the game 6-0, which is where it ended.
Luzardo Reaches 200 Strikeouts for the Second Season in a Row
Jesus Luzardo has truly emerged as one of the best left-handed starters in baseball this season. His dominance in this game, when the Phils needed it most, can’t be understated. He has been lights out on the road this season, and in this game he was again incredible. He pitched into the seventh, giving the Phillies middle relief a much-needed rest on 104 pitches.
His line will tell the story of how dominant he was — seven innings pitched, zero earned runs, one hit, three walks and nine strikeouts. What you won’t see is how much life he had on the fastball and the sweeper. He reached the 200 strikeout plateau in the bottom of the fourth on a high fastball swing-through from Cal Raleigh. His fastball had late life on it, but when that is paired with the sweeper that has late bite, that becomes one of the best kill pitches in baseball.
For the second straight season, Luzardo hits 200 strikeouts, and he has earned the right to be in the talk of one of the best lefty arms in baseball.
Phillies Defense Sparkles in the Emerald City
This season has been a roller coaster ride for the Phils’ defense, but it is one of the things that has been a top indicator of how the team is going. When the Phils are at their best, the defense is at the core of their good play.
In this game, the Phils made several plays that exemplify this and show that the Phils are playing well. The first play came in the first inning, right after hitting the home run to give the Phils the lead. Harper made a play on a long fly off the bat of Julio Rodriguez, which was on its way to getting a run back, until Harper timed his jump and pulled it back in from the stands.
In the third, Weston Wilson hit a rocket which Bryson Stott smothered and got up to throw a strike to Alec Bohm for an out. The third play was by Luis Arraez, who made a sliding catch from the short stop side of the second base bag, got up and threw a strike to get the out. Even Trea Turner, who has had some defensive struggles this season, made a few solid plays in th field.
This was one of the most complete wins of the season for the Phils, and couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Stars Step Up When It’s Needed Most
The combination of Harper and Schwarber lit the fire early for the Phillies. When at least one of Schwarber or Harper homers, the Phillies are 33-13. When neither homers, the Phils are 33-45. This is more important than just the scoring; this leads to there being a level of calm when the big bats explode in the same game. When the Phils offense is calmer at the plate, they tend to hit the ball better.
The Phils seemed to let off the throttle a bit later in the game on the offensive side of the ball, which generally is not a good idea at all, but with how Luzardo, Tim Mayza, and Jhoan Duran were throwing the ball, more runs weren’t needed in this one. With the way Harper has been swinging the bat lately, and Schwarber starting to launch the ball again, this is a good sign and a great way to close out an otherwise forgettable trip to Seattle. With the home run in the second inning, Schwarber is the first in Major League Baseball to reach the 40-home-run mark in his fourth as a Phillie, tying him with Ryan Howard.
Now, after a day off Thursday, he is off to Anaheim, with the rest of the Phils, where he has historically hit the ball well, looking to build on this game.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible; we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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