PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alec Bohm hit the 1,000th home run in World Series history Tuesday night, and the Philadelphia Phillies quickly went to work on launching the next thousand.
Bryce Harper, Bohm and Brandon Marsh teed off early against Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 3 of the 118th World Series. Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins hit back-to-back drives to finish McCullers in the fifth inning, capping the scoring in a 7-0 victory that gave Philadelphia a 2-1 Series lead.
The five home runs tied a World Series record done three previous times — by the 1928 Murderers’ Row New York Yankees when Babe Ruth hit three and Lou Gehrig also connected, by the Bash Brothers-led 1989 Oakland A’s in the first game after the Bay Area earthquake, and by the sign stealing scandal-tainted Astros in 2017.
McCullers became the first pitcher in postseason history to get tagged for five home runs in a game.
Harper began the barrage with a two-run drive in the first inning, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.
Bohm led off with a liner over the left-field wall in the second for the milestone homer. Two batters later, Marsh hit home run No. 1,001, a high fly that a young fan in the front row of the right-field seats dropped back onto the field.
“I feel awesome about it. I was just really excited that the ball was coming toward me so I just got out of my seat and tried to catch it,” said 10-year-old Ty Kuhner from Wilmington, Delaware, who was at the game with his parents and older sister, Madison.
Schwarber, who led the National League with 46 home runs this year, hit his fourth homer of the postseason, a two-run Schwarbomb into the center-field shrubbery. Hoskins followed with a drive to left that chased McCullers.
Cy Young himself gave up the first World Series homer, an inside-the-parker to Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Sebring against Boston in the first World Series game in 1903.
Mickey Mantle holds the record for most World Series home runs with 18. Ruth is next with 15.
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