Kyle Schwarber pimps leadoff home run off Justin Verlander with epic bat flip (Video)

Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff home run against the Astros in Game 5 of the World Series. Justin Verlander’s struggles continue.

When asked about the Astros no-hitter after Game 4, Kyle Schwarber stated the obvious — frankly, he doesn’t give a s***.

Schwarber lived up to that commentary on Thursday night, hitting a leadoff home run into the night sky off Justin Verlander.

The Phillies were down a run entering the bottom of the first, perhaps signaling a warning sign of what’s to come. Instead, Schwarber hit the breaks in a big way.

https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1588325021000278018

That was Schwarber’s third postseason leadoff bomb, which is now tied for the most in MLB history with Derek Jeter and Philadelphia sports legend Jimmy Rollins.

Kyle Schwarber home run: Watch from all angles

Schwarber’s home run was made even better by flipping his bat. Sure, just about every postseason bomb has a celebration associated with it, but something about Schwarber’s bat flip in slow motion makes it special.

https://twitter.com/JClarkNBCS/status/1588326030984548355

The 26th leadoff homer in World Series history was also the first by a Phillie.

The entire Phillies lineup has the potential to hit the ball out at any given moment. Schwarber, hitting leadoff and in front of Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, is merely the first of many.

As for Verlander, it surely wasn’t the start he was looking for. Dusty Baker insisted that his ace would have a long leash despite a tough Game 1. Verlander’s career World Series ERA is over eight, and in his ninth career Fall Classic start, he proved once again that stat is not a fluke.

Something about the World Series brings out the worst in Verlander. For his sake, hopefully that changes. There’s plenty of game left.