Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs in a lopsided Phillies game, taking long drives off Cal Quantrill, Austin Cox (twice), and Wander Suero. The timing of those homers created an unusual outside chance for a fifth plate appearance. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker allowed position-player Vidal Bruján to pitch late rather than intentionally walk Schwarber. The decision unfolded against a blowout scoreline and revived discussion of rarity: four-homer games have happened multiple times recently, but a five-homer game has never been recorded. Bruján had only limited prior pitching appearances.
Thursday evening provided us with a moment that baseball does better than any other sport-taking two things that used to be special but now almost seem mundane, and then slamming them together in an alchemist's fever dream. This particular moment came when Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, owner of baseball's 21st four-homer game in history and the third this year, faced Atlanta infielder Vidal Bruján, the 61st non-pitching pitcher of 2025, in a showdown to see if there was any actual history to be made.
This one could have been different. Schwarber's four homers came off actual Atlanta pitchers-Cal Quantrill, Austin Cox twice, and Wander Suero-and quickly enough that there was an outside chance that he might get a fifth at-bat, whereas most four-homer performers have sealed the achievement with their last turn at the plate. Enter Bruján, a phrase you don't hear nearly often enough.
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