Phils blast record-tying 5 HRs, take 2-1 WS lead
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies tied the record for most home runs hit in a World Series game, belting five in a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
All five home runs came off starter Lance McCullers Jr., a record for most homers surrendered by a pitcher in a World Series game.
Familiarity was a key to Philadelphia’s offensive output.
“He’s a guy that we saw at the end of the year in Houston,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said after the win. “Got to see his pitches then. He just left pitches in the middle of the plate today.”
The Astros hosted the Phillies in the final days of the regular season when McCullers gave up one run over six innings. Tuesday had an entirely different outcome. Bryce Harper (first inning), Alec Bohm (second), Brandon Marsh (second), Kyle Schwarber (fifth) and Rhys Hoskins (fifth) all went deep, making the Phillies the first team in history to hit five home runs in the first five innings of a World Series game.
“We talked about it before the game, just trying to get on him early, trying to get on him often,” Harper said.
Before Bohm’s second-inning homer, Harper called him over from the on-deck circle to the dugout and offered him a quick word of advice.
Asked if he and Bohm discussed McCullers possibly tipping his pitches, Harper said, “I think that’s just general conversation. Trying to get as much information as we can from each other. We just tried to have the best at-bats we could.”
Bohm smiled when asked what Harper told him.
“That’s between us,” he said in a mid-game interview during the Fox broadcast.
Bohm remained coy when he was asked afterward if Harper’s words helped him in his at-bat.
“Maybe,” he said with another smile.
Schwarber’s and Hoskins’ homers were back-to-back, with Schwarber’s blast — a 443-foot shot to dead center — traveling the farthest. Philadelphia hit home runs off four types of pitches, including two sliders, a change-up, a curveball and a sinker. Before Tuesday, McCullers hadn’t given up a single home run on 651 off-speed pitches thrown this season (regular season and playoffs).
“Listen, I am who I am,” McCullers said. “I’m going to throw a lot of off-speed. Everyone knows that.”
Again, Phillies hitters attributed their success to knowing what McCullers’ pitches looked like over knowing what was coming.
“Pitch shape,” Hoskins said. “And what each pitch does. What it looks like to the eye for right-handed vs left-handed hitters. We did a great job tonight.”
Coming into the game, McCullers had given up just three earned runs in 11 postseason innings this month. He was pulled after the fifth home run, lasting only 4 1/3 innings, giving up all seven runs. He allowed just four home runs in eight regular-season starts this season.
All that power at the plate backed Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, who threw five shutout innings, giving up just three hits and a walk. Suarez’s stuff was excellent as was the raucous Philadelphia crowd, an ongoing topic at home games, in which the Phillies are 6-0 this postseason.
“The sinker worked excellent tonight,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “It had real good movement. My cutter and my changeup were really good, too. I induced a lot of grounders with those pitches.
“To touch on the fans, they were excellent tonight, as always. They definitely gave me a plus. They inject that energy that you don’t get anywhere else.”
Suarez had the crowd on its feet on several two-strike pitches, but it was Harper who ignited the early fireworks with his first-inning blast to right field. He is hitting .382 this postseason after hitting his sixth home run during the playoffs.
“I’m just so focused on winning,” Harper said. “I’m not focused on anything else besides that. Just having the opportunity to come in here and grateful for the opportunity to be here. Just grateful to be here with this team and this organization. I’m not really worried about anything else.”
The Phillies have 17 homers at home this postseason, third-most in a single postseason all time. They have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 on Wednesday.
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Dan Wetzel
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Dan Wetzel
ESPN
- Dan Wetzel is a senior writer focused on investigative reporting, news analysis and feature storytelling.
Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”
Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.
“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”
Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.
Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”
Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.
“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.
The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.
Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.
The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.
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Jorge Castillo
ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.
The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.
Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.
The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.
Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.
Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).
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