Kyle Schwarber's Homer and a Brutal Truth: The Phillies Have Scored in Only 2 of Their Last 37 Innings

The Philadelphia Phillies' bats are in serious trouble right now, and they know it. Kyle Schwarber tried to put the best spin on it after Saturday's 4-3 win over Arizona, but the numbers don't lie: Philadelphia has been nearly silent at the plate, scoring in just two of its last 37 innings heading into Sunday's series finale against the Diamondbacks.

Think about that for a second. Thirty-seven innings. That's almost four full games of nothing. The Phillies came into this Arizona series already dealing with a 20-inning scoreless drought, and things have only gotten worse. Against the Diamondbacks alone, they've managed runs in just two of 17 frames.

How Saturday's Win Actually Looked

Friday was a disaster: the Phillies jumped out with four runs in the first inning and then went completely silent, losing 5-4. Saturday was better, but barely. A four-run outburst in the third inning ended up being enough for the 4-3 win, with Schwarber's three-run homer doing the heavy lifting. Bryce Harper added a solo shot of his own, and that cushion was just enough for starter Taijuan Walker to get his first win of 2026.

For Schwarber, the homer was his fourth of the season and snapped a six-game drought without going deep. Harper's blast, his third of the year, also ended a six-game homerless stretch. "Everyone wants to get a hit, everyone wants to make the sick play," Schwarber said after the game. "But that moment you start trying to go out and you start reaching for it might just create something that shouldn't be there."

He praised Harper's approach after the game too: "He's staying within himself. He's controlling the zone, obviously. He's getting a lot of really good contact and that's what he does."

Sunday's Challenge: Gallen vs. Painter

The Diamondbacks will counter with Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.00 ERA), who's been solid in his last two outings. Gallen allowed just one earned run in 11 innings across those starts and is 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA in seven career games against Philadelphia.

The Phillies are throwing rookie Andrew Painter (1-0, 4.82), who just turned 23 on Friday. Painter has been wildly inconsistent early: he gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings against Washington in his MLB debut on March 31, but then got shelled by San Francisco for four runs on nine hits in four innings on Monday. Manager Rob Thomson said the difference was simple: "Once he got behind in the count, it didn't seem like he was landing his secondary pitches as well."

The Phillies need to wake up their bats and fast. A third straight day of scoreless stretches could sink this series.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.