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Phillies shut out Padres: 3 takeaways from NLCS Game 1

By Mark Powell

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 18: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres in game one of the National League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 18, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 18: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres in game one of the National League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 18, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Phillies, Kyle Schwarber
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 18: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres in game one of the National League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 18, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

NLCS takeaways: Phillies power pays off

As I mentioned in a previous post regarding Kyle Schwarber’s record 488-foot home run, the Phils are not a team to kill their opponent with paper cuts. Instead, Schwarber and Harper offered up two solo shots. For Harper, it was his highest-hit home run of the year, and it barely reached the Petco Park seats. For Schwarber, it was a record-setting blast that sent a message.

Schwarber’s blast set a number of records. First, it was the longest home run in Petco Park history. Second, it was the hardest-hit home run by exit velocity in postseason history, at least in the Statcast Era. It was also the second-longest home run in playoff history since 2015.

The 29-year-old left Harper, his own teammate who hit said solo shot earlier in the game, utterly speechless.

The Phillies communicate well, and while it took some time to get to Yu Darvish, Harper mentioned on the broadcast that he and his teammates were “looking for the heater.” It sounds like a simple approach, but with the arsenal Darvish has, it’s always best to have a specific pitch and location in mind.

Harper and Schwarber did that to perfection.

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