The Philadelphia Phillies lost the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, thanks in large part to the offense struggling to get anything going outside of Game 4 of the series.
To get the scoring started in Game 4, the Phillies finally saw Kyle Schwarber's bat come to life. He launched a Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch 455-feet to deep right field to tie the game, and ignite the Phillies' bats to take a 3-1 lead, which they would never relinquish.
A few days later, the Dodgers revealed a plaque honoring Schwarber's 455-foot homer that left Dodger Stadium. It's a rare honor for Schwarber, and Sonja Chen of MLB.com shared the details behind the Dodgers' decision to honor the Phillies slugger for his 455-foot blast.
The Dodgers honor Kyle Schwarber for his 455-foot home run that left Dodger Stadium
"Just one day after the Phillies' slugger launched a moonshot of a home run off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 of the National League Division Series," Chen writes, "the Dodgers installed a plaque commemorating the Statcast-projected 455-foot blast around where it landed beyond the Right Field Pavilion seats."
This isn't the first time the Dodgers have honored an opposing player for such a mammoth home run. They've previously recognized Willie Stargell with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2969 and 1973, Mike Piazza with the Dodgers in 1997, Mark McGwire with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, Giancarlo Stanton with the Miami Marlins in 2015, and Fernando Tatis Jr. with the San Diego Padres in 2021.
The list of players the Dodgers have honored over the years is an incredible one, and now Schwarber joins the list with his majestic 455-foot home run that landed on the Pavilion roof in right field, eventually leaving the yard.
More: Kyle Schwarber gets emotional as free agency looms after Phillies’ NLDS heartbreak
While he struggled outside of Game 4, that homer from Schwarber showed how much influence he can have on a series. If he had been hitting better throughout the series, the Phillies might've been able to beat Los Angeles.
But now, with Schwarber set to be a free agent, there's reasonable concern that the Dodgers' NLDS series will be the final time Schwarber plays for the Phillies.
If it was his final time in a Phillies uniform, he gave fans one last moonshot on his way out that will now be commemorated forever at Dodger Stadium. Schwarber joins some Hall of Famers and some of the game's most famous power hitters honored at Dodger Stadium.
Schwarber hit 56 home runs in the regular season, and his 57th of the year, including the playoffs, was one to remember. The Dodgers acknowledged just how impressive it was, honoring the Phillies slugger for his 455-foot blast that left the stadium in Game 4 of the NLDS.
More Phillies News:
- Matt Strahm blasts MLB analyst after Phillies' NLDS loss
- Phillies' Bryce Harper shows he understands Philadelphia, unlike Nick Castellanos
- Orion Kerkering error, explained: How Phillies' crushing extra-innings gaffe delivered NLDS Game 4 to Dodgers
- Phillies manager Rob Thomson delivers clear message to Orion Kerkering after unforgettable collapse
- Phillies' J.T. Realmuto shuts down any free agency talk after loss vs. Dodgers
- Orion Kerkering holds back tears in reaction to Phillies’ season-ending error