Don Mattingly Watches Schwarber Reach 17 Homers in Phillies Win

don mattingly got another sharp look at Kyle Schwarber on May 9, 2026, and the Philadelphia designated hitter kept producing. Schwarber homered in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox and stretched his home run streak to five games.

The blast was his 17th of the season. Philadelphia beat Boston 2-1, while the Red Sox slipped to 17-24 and had lost three of their last four.

Schwarber Opens Against Morán

Schwarber turned on Jovani Morán in the top of the first, hitting a three-run home run in his first at-bat against the Boston opener. That was enough to move his season total to 17 and push him past Aaron Judge for the major league lead.

He was already locked into a hot stretch before that swing. The homer also gave him seven in 27 career games at Fenway Park and six in 13 career games against the Red Sox, a line that keeps growing every time Boston has to pitch to him.

Boston Missed On Schwarber

The matchup carried an extra edge because Schwarber had been with Boston during its 2021 playoff run before the sides split. Boston did not make him an offer when he became a free agent again last offseason, and he returned to Philadelphia on a five-year, $150 million contract extension.

Through 40 games, Schwarber had 17 home runs while Boston had 17 wins. He was on pace for 66 homers, and the Red Sox were on pace for 67 wins, a pairing that puts both numbers in the same frame even if they came from very different places.

For Boston, the immediate task is simple: stop feeding him clean first-inning chances. Schwarber has already shown what one mistake can do, and the Red Sox have seen it again.