Kyle Schwarber’s historic home run swing-off helped the National League secure a 7-6 win over the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. The Philadelphia Phillies slugger, who had just replaced Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter due to a poor performance, stepped up for the tiebreaker and delivered on all three of his swings.
Schwarber’s NL teammates, including Pete Alonso and Kyle Stowers, had been waiting for this moment since the game was tied 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning. The players were chosen for the swing-off before the game began, and Schwarber’s performance sealed the win for the National League.
“It was like the baseball version of a shootout or extra time,” Schwarber said about the tiebreaker. “So it was really fun. I credit the guys, too, on our side, who were really into it.”
The NL had taken an early 5-0 lead in the sixth inning, but the American League fought back with three runs in the seventh. The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth, when a pair of batters hit consecutive doubles to tie the score.
With the help of two strikeouts and a beat-out grounder, Robert Suarez retired both batters who followed him to the plate. However, Chapman couldn’t close out the win, allowing the AL to tie the game again with an inning-ending double play.
The NL was then forced into the swing-off, which saw Schwarber take center stage. Despite initial doubts about his role in the game, Schwarber delivered a historic performance, launching home runs on all three of his swings and securing the All-Star Game MVP award for himself.
Schwarber’s teammate, Pete Alonso, who had previously participated in the Home Run Derby, echoed Roberts’ praise for Schwarber: “You’ve got a guy who can really hit with bat-to-ball and has huge power.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6497056/2025/07/16/kyle-schwarber-all-star-mvp-nl-home-run-swing-off