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Game 5s can serve one of two purposes: as a definitive edge one team gains from closing out a series 4-1 or as a reminder that one team is now a single win from reaching its desired destination. For the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, their 5-2 win Saturday in Game 5 over the Edmonton Oilers means they’re a win away from winning back-to-back Cups.

Of course, it wouldn’t be out of character for the Oilers to strike back to win Game 6, forcing a Game 7 back in Edmonton. Because, you know, the Oilers have never once faced elimination only to prompt a resurrection of any kind. Either way, Game 5 provided both teams a chance to take an advantage in the last series of the season. In the end, the Panthers won their 10th road game this postseason, tying an NHL playoff record.

A game and series with so much at stake requires examination. Let’s take a look at what made the difference for the Oilers and Panthers in Game 5, what players could make a potential impact in Game 6 on Tuesday and what questions lie ahead.

As for what those questions could be? Let’s just say they may have to do with one team (the Panthers) closing out a series and another (the Oilers) forcing a Game 7 for a second straight Stanley Cup Final.

This game appeared to go to plan for the Panthers:

  • They controlled the puck.

  • They appeared to remain in control when they didn’t have possession.

  • They took advantage of the power play while restricting the Oilers when they were shorthanded.

  • They limited the Oilers to three high-danger chances, a detail that becomes even more amplified considering they came into Game 5 ranked second in high-danger chances per 60 this postseason.

Staking Sergei Bobrovsky to a two-goal lead in the first period set the stage for one of the best goalies of his generation to make the necessary saves without feeling bombarded, as the Panthers prevented those high-danger chances, a high concentration of shots or both.

Even when Edmonton’s Connor McDavid found an opening and Corey Perry scored to trim the lead to two goals for what was a second time in Game 5, the Panthers still made it difficult for the Oilers to generate those desired scoring chances in prime areas. All told, they fended off the late third-period barrage that saw them have 10 shots on goal.

Winning 10 games away from their home in Sunrise is one of the major reasons why the Panthers are one win away from another Stanley Cup. And while they’ve done everything from score five goals to shut out opponents on the road, there’s a discussion to be had about whether this was the Panthers’ strongest win away from home or their most crucial victory outside the 954 area code this postseason.

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Corey Perry’s late goal gives Oilers hope

Corey Perry notches a big-time goal to pull the Oilers within two goals of the Panthers.

Repetitive as it sounds, the Oilers began Game 5 giving up another multigoal period while scoring zero. This has become the persistent mark against a defensive structure that went through the Western Conference shutting down two teams that finished in the top 5 in goals per game. But against the Panthers? This is now the seventh time in the 13 periods of this series in which the Oilers have allowed more than two goals.

Frequent as those multigoal periods have been for the Oilers, so have comebacks. The issue the Oilers kept running into in this game, however, was finding any cohesion. They had chances, such as the three power-play opportunities in the first two periods, but failed to score while getting off only four shots. Altogether, it amounted to the Oilers having two high-danger chances and a 37.8% shot share while posting just 11 total shots entering the third period.

McDavid scoring his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final — with Perry grabbing another — got the Oilers to within two goals on separate occasions. To be that close, and given their penchant for comebacks, it made another rally possible. That is, until Eetu Luostarinen‘s empty-net goal sealed the deal.

But to be in that position at the end of the game brings the discussion back to the opening point for the Oilers: How much different would Game 5 have been if they hadn’t allowed another multigoal period to start the game?


Arda Öcal’s Three Stars of Game 5

Another sublime performance for The Rat King, who potted two goals, including another great effort for the goal that put the Cats up 3-0. It was his sixth goal of this Stanley Cup Final, which is the most by any player in a single year since Esa Tikkanen in 1988, when the Oilers played the Boston Bruins. It was the 13th goal at 5-on-5 for the line of Marchand-Anton LundellEetu Luostarinen. The next closest trio this postseason is Carter VerhaegheMatthew TkachukSam Bennett, with 10.

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Brad Marchand’s 2nd goal of game is a thing of beauty

Brad Marchand lights the lamp to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead in the third period.

Speaking of Bennett, he continued his road-scoring ways with his 15th of the postseason and 13th away from home. Bennett became the fifth player in NHL history to register a six-game road goal streak in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He joins Brian Propp (seven-game road goal streak in 1989), Mark Scheifele (six in 2018), Kevin Stevens (six in 1991) and Maurice Richard (six in 1951).

His third-period tally was his seventh of the postseason. That goal made it 4-1, and was the Panthers’ 60th on the road this postseason, 11 more than any other team in a single year in Stanley Cup playoffs history. Luostarinen’s empty-netter made it 61, putting the Cats 12 ahead of the team in second on the list (1993 Los Angeles Kings, 49).

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Sam Reinhart fires it home for a Panthers goal

Sam Reinhart gets the puck past the goalie to give the Panthers a three-goal lead.


Players to watch in Game 6

Performances like Game 5 add to why the Panthers were among the many teams who wanted Marchand at the trade deadline. After not scoring in Game 4, his two goals in Game 5 give him 10 goals and 20 points this postseason — and also present a rather serious argument for him winning the Conn Smythe Trophy, which honors the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP.

Marchand’s production could help the Panthers win another title. It also could lead to Marchand further enhancing his status as one of the most attractive names in free agency. Championship teams, and those who want that title, are often navigating what it means to win while staying salary cap-compliant.

What made Marchand so appealing at the trade deadline was the fact that he was a proven winner who was on an expiring contract. The idea that he’s a win away from being a two-time Stanley Cup winner who played a crucial role in the Panthers winning again? That’s going to leave the Panthers’ front office with a tough decision to make, in an offseason in which Marchand is part of an eight-player unrestricted free agent class that includes Bennett and Aaron Ekblad.

Now that McDavid has scored his first goal of the Cup Final, was Game 5 the starting point for the best player on the planet to score more in what could be his team’s final game of the season?

Think back to what McDavid did in last year’s Cup Final in Games 4 and 5. McDavid might have played some of his most dominant hockey when he helped the Oilers climb back in the series, starting with the goal and three assists he had in Game 4 followed by another four-point effort with two goals and two assists in Game 5.

There are many reasons why the Oilers are in a second consecutive Cup Final. One of them is relying on a level of depth scoring that has made them more than their pair of generational superstars, while knowing that Leon Draisaitl and McDavid can go off at any moment. Can the Oilers find a way to get that scoring depth to work for them again in addition to Draisaitl and McDavid? Or will it take another hallmark performance from their dynamic duo to force a Game 7?

These are just a few of the questions whose answers could determine whether the Oilers can mount another comeback, force a Game 7 and win their first Cup since 1990 … or be left to think about another campaign in which they were close but came up short.

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Connor McDavid responds with a goal to pull Oilers closer

Connor McDavid notches a much needed goal to pull the Oilers within two.


Big questions for Game 6

Can the Oilers repeat what they did last year and force a Game 7?

So much has been said — and will continue to be said — about how the Oilers aren’t really out of the series, because last year they nearly pulled off the improbable after falling into a 3-0 hole.

But what must happen for them to force one more game?

Game 5 started like a repeat of Game 4, in that after giving up a multigoal first period, the Oilers only gave up one goal and appeared to find defensive consistency. So how can they find a way to piece together the type of defensive effort that prevents the Panthers from having another multigoal period, while generating more offensive production than they did in Game 5? That’s the big question facing the Oilers in what could be their last game of the season or their second-to-last game of the season.

Will the Panthers be able to close out the Cup Final on the first try?

If there’s any team that knows just how dangerous the Oilers are when facing elimination, it’s the Panthers.

Something we’ve seen from the Oilers this postseason is not only their ability to come back in a series, but their ability to close out a team because they know all the signs of a potential comeback.

Something we’ve seen from the Panthers this postseason is that opponents have found ways to stay alive. Go back to the second round, when the Panthers appeared to attain all the momentum against the Toronto Maple Leafs before the Leafs used a 2-0 win in Game 6 to force a Game 7. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Carolina Hurricanes had also lost three in a row but rallied to win Game 4.

Granted, the Panthers would win both series. But it does create some intrigue as to whether or not the Panthers will win on home ice or be forced to return to Edmonton.

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Building the perfect trade deadline for the Mets and Phillies

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Building the perfect trade deadline for the Mets and Phillies

There’s plenty of history in the rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. It’s about 116 miles from Citi Field to Citizens Bank Park. The two teams been competing for the NL East since 1969. Star players from Tug McGraw to Jerry Koosman to Lenny Dykstra to Pedro Martinez to Zack Wheeler have played for both franchises. Mets fans loathe the Phanatic, and Phillies fans laugh derisively at Mr. Met.

Despite this longevity, the two teams have rarely battled for a division title in the same season. The only years they finished No. 1 and 2 or were battling for a division lead late in the season:

  • 1986: Mets finished 21.5 games ahead

  • 2001: Both finished within six games of the Braves

  • 2006: Mets finished 12 games ahead

  • 2007: Phillies finished one game ahead

  • 2008: Phillies finished three games ahead

  • 2024: Phillies finished six games ahead of Mets and Braves

So it’s a rare treat to see the Mets and Phillies battling for the NL East lead in as New York faces the San Francisco Giants on “Sunday Night Baseball” this week. This season has also been a bit of bumpy ride for both teams, so there is pressure on both front offices to make trade deadline additions in hopes of winning the World Series that has eluded both franchises in recent years despite high payrolls and star-laden rosters. Let’s dig into what both teams need to do before Thursday.

The perfect trade deadline for the Mets

1. Bullpen help

The Mets already acquired hard-throwing lefty Gregory Soto from the Orioles, but David Stearns will likely look for another reliever, given that the Mets’ bullpen has struggled since the beginning of June with a 5.02 ERA. In my grade of the trade, I pointed out the importance for the Mets to add left-handed relief. Think of potential playoff opponents and all the key left-handed batters: Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper on the Phillies; Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy on the Dodgers; Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Cubs.

Soto has held lefties to a .138 average this season, and it does help that the Mets have two lefty starters in David Peterson and Sean Manaea. They also just activated Brooks Raley after he had been out since early 2024. If he is back to his 2022-23 form, when he had a 2.74 ERA and held lefties to a .209 average, maybe the Mets will feel good enough about their southpaw relief.

They could still use another dependable righty reliever. Mets starters were hot early on, but they weren’t going deep into games, and outside of Peterson, the lack of longer outings is a big reason the bullpen ERA has skyrocketed. Carlos Mendoza has overworked his setup guys, including Huascar Brazoban and Reed Garrett. Brazoban has never been much of a strike thrower anyway, and Garrett similarly faded in the second half last season. Adding a high-leverage righty to set up Edwin Diaz makes sense. Candidates there include David Bednar of the Pirates, Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran of the Twins, or maybe a longer shot such as Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith of the Guardians.

2. Think big, as in Eugenio Suarez

Mark Vientos was a huge key to last season’s playoff appearance and trip to the NLCS, hitting .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs after beginning the season in Triple-A. He hasn’t been able to replicate that performance, though, hitting .224/.279/.354. That has led to a revolving door at third base, with Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio starting games there in July. Overall, Mets third basemen ranked 24th in the majors in OPS entering Friday.

Lack of production at third is one reason the Mets’ offense has been mediocre rather than very good — they’re averaging 4.38 runs per game, just below the NL average of 4.43. They could use another premium bat, given the lack of production they’ve received from center field and catcher (not to mention Francisco Lindor‘s slump since the middle of June). Maybe Francisco Alvarez‘s short stint back in Triple-A will get his bat going now that he’s back in the majors, but going after Suarez to hit behind Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would lengthen the lineup.

3. Reacquire Harrison Bader to play CF

Tyrone Taylor is a plus defender in center and has made several incredible catches, but he’s hitting .209/.264/.306 for a lowly OPS+ of 65. Old friend Bader is having a nice season with the Twins, hitting .251/.330/.435. Maybe that’s a little over his head, given that he had a .657 OPS with the Mets last season, but he would still be an offensive upgrade over Taylor without losing anything on defense — and he wouldn’t cost a top-tier prospect. The Mets could still mix in Jeff McNeil against the really tough righties, but adding Suarez and Bader would give this lineup more of a championship feel.

The perfect deadline for the Phillies

1. Acquire Jhoan Duran

Like the Mets, the Phillies already made a move here, signing free agent David Robertson, who had a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings last season with the Rangers. On paper, he should help, but he’s also 40 and will need a few games in the minors to get ready. Even with Robertson, the Phillies could use some more help here. They’ll eventually get Jose Alvarado back from his 60-game PED suspension, but Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason. At least the Mets have an elite closer in Edwin Diaz. Jordan Romano leads the Phillies with eight saves and has a 6.69 ERA. Matt Strahm is solid, but more useful as a lefty setup guy than a closer (think of all those left-handed batters we listed for the Mets, then sub out Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo for Harper and Schwarber).

And the Phillies’ bullpen has consistently come up short in big games. Think back to last year’s NLDS, when Jeff Hoffman lost twice to the Mets. Or 2023, when Craig Kimbrel lost two games in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. Or the 2022 World Series, when Yordan Alvarez hit the huge home run off Alvarado in the clinching Game 6.

So, yes, a shutdown closer is a must. Maybe that’s Bednar, maybe Clase if he’s available (although he struggled in last year’s postseason), maybe Helsley. But the guy Dave Dombrowski should go all-in to get: Duran. The window for the Phillies is slowly closing as the core players get older. Duran is under control through 2027, so he’s a fit for now and the immediate future. The trade cost might be painful, but with his 100 mph fastball and splitter, he has the elite stuff you need in October.

2. Add Ryan O’Hearn

The Phillies have received below-average production from both left field (mostly Max Kepler) and center field (Brandon Marsh/Johan Rojas platoon). The center-field market is pretty thin except for Bader or maybe a gamble on Luis Robert Jr. I’d pass on Robert, stick with the Marsh/Rojas platoon and upgrade left field with O’Hearn, who is hitting .281/.375/.452 for the Orioles. He isn’t the perfect fit since, like Kepler, he hits left-handed and struggles against lefties, but he’s a patient hitter with a much better OBP, and he’s passable in the outfield.

3. Acquire Willi Castro

Here’s the bottom line: The Phillies have to admit that some of their long-term position players aren’t getting the job done — such as second baseman Bryson Stott, who has a 77 OPS+. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been better but also has a below-average OPS.

That makes Castro a nice fit. He’s not a star, but he’s an above-average hitter, a switch-hitter who plays all over the field for the Twins, having started games at five different positions. He could play second or third or start in left field against a lefty. Philadelphia could even start him in center instead of Rojas, although that would be a defensive hit. Bottom line: Castro would give the Phillies a lot more versatility — or a significant offensive upgrade over Stott if they start him every day at second.

Note as well: Stott has hit .188 in 33 career postseason games. Bohm has hit .214 with two home runs in 34 postseason games. The Phillies need a different offensive look for October.

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Olney: The 8 teams most desperate to make a deadline deal

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Olney: The 8 teams most desperate to make a deadline deal

It would be ideal if every MLB team were so desperate to win that they would do whatever it takes. But in an industry with so many variables from team to team — roster composition, payroll commitment, market size, owner ambition, fan rabidity and history — some organizations are willing to go further and do more than others.

The New York Mets paid more in luxury taxes last season ($97 million) than the Pittsburgh Pirates have dedicated to payroll this season, and Pittsburgh could attempt to reduce salary commitments even further at this year’s trade deadline.

Some teams are more desperate than others. As we near the July 31 deadline, we present the teams most desperate to make a deal.


New York played in the World Series last year, and in a lot of markets, that might be enough to satisfy a fan base. But not with the Yankees, whose most faithful fans judge them under the George Steinbrenner Doctrine: If you don’t win the World Series, you’ve had a bad year. This is a constant.

The Yankees could return to where they were last October. The 33-year-old Aaron Judge, one of the most dynamic hitters ever, is having another historic season. New York wants to take advantage of that — particularly because the American League is wide open with as many as seven or eight AL teams having reasonable paths to the World Series.

But the Yankees still have distinct holes. They badly need an upgrade at third base, which someone like Eugenio Suarez could fill. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt suffered season-ending elbow injuries, leaving a need for another experienced starting pitcher. Their bullpen also needs help in the sixth and seventh innings.

After the departure of Juan Soto, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman are probably under more pressure to do something this season than any of their peers. What else is new?


It’s remarkable how similar this version of the Phillies is to the teams that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski constructed in Detroit, with Philadelphia’s strong starting pitching (Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez playing the roles of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer) and a lineup of sluggers (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder).

The major question that hangs over this Philadelphia team, as was the case with those Tigers teams, is about the bullpen: Is there enough depth and power? For the Phillies, that is complicated by the situation with lefty Jose Alvarado, who will return in August from his 80-game suspension under the PED policy but not be eligible for the postseason.

The Phillies paid heavily for free agent reliever David Robertson, giving him the equivalent of a $16 million salary for the rest of the regular season, but they could use another reliever who is adept at shutting down high-end right-handed hitters in the postseason.


On the days Tarik Skubal pitches, the Tigers could be the best team in baseball; it’s possible that in the postseason, he could be his generation’s version of Orel Hershiser or Madison Bumgarner, propelling his team through round after round of playoffs to the World Series.

But the Tigers might have Skubal for only the rest of this year and next season, before he, advised by his agent Scott Boras, heads into free agency and becomes maybe the first $400 million pitcher in history.

Now is the time for Detroit to make a push for its first championship in more than four decades. And for Scott Harris, the team’s president of baseball operations, that means adding a couple of high-impact relievers capable of generating a lot of swing-and-misses.


The Mariners showed they are serious about making moves before this deadline with Thursday’s trade for first baseman Josh Naylor.

The last time the Mariners reached the league championship series, Ichiro Suzuki — who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend — was a rookie. Edgar Martinez was a 38-year-old designated hitter, and Jamie Moyer and Freddy Garcia were the staff aces. You get the point: It has been a really long time since the Mariners have had postseason success, and the team has never reached the World Series.

An opportunity seems to be developing for Seattle. The talented rotation, hammered by injuries in the first months of this season, could be whole for the stretch run. Cal Raleigh is having the greatest season by a catcher, contending with Judge for the AL MVP Award. Julio Rodriguez has generally been a strong second-half player.

Even ownership seems inspired: After a winter in which the Mariners spent almost nothing to upgrade the roster, other teams report that Seattle could absorb money in trades before the deadline.


5. New York Mets

Owner Steve Cohen doesn’t sport the highest payroll this year — the Dodgers’ Mark Walter is wearing that distinction — but the Mets are well over the luxury tax threshold again, in the first season after signing Juan Soto. Cohen has made it clear that generally, he will do what it takes to land the club’s first championship trophy since 1986.

But that does not include preventing David Stearns, the Mets’ respected president of baseball operations, from doing what he does best — making subtle and effective deals at the trade deadline. Rival execs expect that Stearns will work along the same lines he did last year — finding trades that improve the team’s depth without pillaging its growing farm system. That could mean adding a starting pitcher capable of starting Game 1, 2 or 3 of a postseason series, as well as bullpen depth.

Cohen is experiencing the impact of overseeing a front office that made an impetuous win-now trade at the 2021 deadline, when the Mets swapped a minor leaguer named Pete Crow-Armstrong for two months of Javier Baez. That clearly didn’t pan out for them. Cohen is desperate to win, but within the prescribed guardrails.


Last winter, the Padres had to live with the knowledge that they were probably the best team other than the Dodgers and that they came within a win of knocking out L.A. There is a lot about San Diego’s 2025 roster to like: Manny Machado clearly responds to a big stage, and the bullpen could be the most dominant at a time of year when relief corps often decide championships.

However, as Padres general manager A.J. Preller navigates this trade deadline in the hopes of living out late owner Peter Seidler’s dream of winning San Diego’s first World Series title, he has a relatively thin, aging, top-heavy roster with a lot of significant payroll obligations. This is why the Padres are considering trading Dylan Cease, who is potentially the highest-impact starter available on the market. Preller could move Cease to fill other roster needs, current and future ones, and then deal for a cheaper veteran starter to replace him.

“He’ll have to rob Peter to pay Paul,” one of Preller’s peers said.


Hope has emerged after the team’s all-in, $500 million signing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the Blue Jays taking the lead in the AL East.

Toronto’s rotation is comprised of an older group — 34-year-old Kevin Gausman, 36-year-old Chris Bassitt, 40-year-old Max Scherzer and 31-year-old Jose Berrios. Without a clear favorite in the AL, Toronto could break through for its first title since the Jays went back-to-back in 1992-93 — and in just the second season since the club’s expensive renovations of Rogers Centre were completed. When Alex Anthopoulos led the front office a decade ago, he made an all-in push to get the Jays back into the playoffs, adding players like David Price because he believed this was the right time for them to take their shot — and they came very close to getting back to the World Series.

Reportedly, Mark Shapiro — the team’s incoming president at the time — did not approve of Anthopoulos’ strategy. Now, Shapiro’s Blue Jays are in a similar situation in 2025 to where they were under Anthopoulos: Will they wheel and deal aggressively before the deadline, or will they be conservative?


The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, after taking the title in the shortened season of 2020. So, if they don’t win a championship this year, it’s not as if a bunch of people are getting fired and the roster will be jettisoned. But winning can be intoxicating, especially when the lineup and rotation are loaded with stars: The Dodgers can envision a postseason in which a starting staff of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could propel the team to a second consecutive title.

But the Dodgers’ bullpen — heavily worked in the first months of this season because of injuries to the rotation — is in tatters due to injuries. Will the Dodgers’ push to become the first team to repeat as champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees drive them to swap valuable prospects for needed bullpen help before the deadline? We’re about to find out.


This is a team very well-suited for the postseason: The Cubs are a strong defensive team; they have a deep lineup around Kyle Tucker, in what might be Tucker’s only season in Chicago; and they put the ball in play.

They’ve got a good farm system, as well as an experienced president of baseball operations in Jed Hoyer. He was part of championships in Boston in 2004 and 2007 and was the Cubs’ general manager for their 2016 title. He and Theo Epstein made the Nomar Garciaparra deal at the trade deadline in 2004, in advance of Boston’s breakthrough title in 2004, and the all-in trade for Aroldis Chapman on the way to the Cubs’ first World Series win in 108 years in 2016.

But the X factor for Chicago in recent years is whether ownership operates with the same desperation — in the way that Astros owner Jim Crane did when he pushed through a Justin Verlander trade for Houston in August 2017.

This seems to be a good time for the Cubs to be desperate, to do anything to win another championship. Will a title be a priority for owner Tom Ricketts?

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Schwarber reaches 1,000-hit milestone with HR

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Schwarber reaches 1,000-hit milestone with HR

NEW YORK — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player’s first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319 during Friday night’s 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” Schwarber said.

Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run homers Friday night, with the first drive, his milestone hit, starting the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium’s right-center-field seats.

“I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging,” Schwarber said. “I’m like: ‘Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.’ That was cool.”

He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies.

“You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day, and I think our fans kind of latch on to that, right?” Schwarber said. “It’s been fantastic these last 3½ years, four years now. The support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that, you know, that they attach themselves to our team.”

Schwarber tied it at 2-2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball.

After J.T. Realmuto‘s three-run homer off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats.

Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more homers than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major league leader Cal Raleigh, and six homers in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multihomer games.

“I don’t know where we’d be without him,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It’s just — it’s amazing.”

Schwarber, 32, is eligible for free agency this fall after completing a four-year, $79 million contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began, Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: “We love him. We want to keep him.”

“He’s been an incredible force all season long,” Realmuto said. “What he’s meant to his team, his offense, it’s hard to put in words.”

A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 homers in all four seasons with the Phillies. He’s batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS.

He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46).

Schwarber had not been aware he topped McGwire for most homers among 1,000 hits.

“I had no clue. I didn’t even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,” he said.

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